


Across the Stars

by labelma



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Implied violence against children but it's vague and not graphic, Jedi Ian, M/M, May add more tags later as the story evolves, References to Sexual Assault, Slow-ish burn, Smuggler Mickey, Star Wars AU, Star Wars typical violence, Story is readable if you are unfamiliar with Star Wars
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:13:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 21,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28446714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/labelma/pseuds/labelma
Summary: A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...Having just passed the trials and become a fully fledged Jedi Knight, Ian Gallagher is sent on his first solo mission. The objective is simple, track down a smuggler with valuable information, and bring him before the Jedi Council for questioning. But Ian will soon learn that reality is often far more complicated than what he was raised to believe.
Relationships: Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich
Comments: 81
Kudos: 43





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello friends, happy New Year! Two weeks ago I watched an episode of Shameless, then got in bed and watched a few episodes of The Clone Wars. I woke up the next morning to find that I had jotted down the basic idea for this fic in barely understandable English, and the idea wouldn't let go of me until I started writing it. 
> 
> For those of you who aren't massive Star Wars nerds like me, I've embedded links to pictures throughout the story of the different planets, species, droids, etc. I mention. This should help to visualize the world better, especially if you're unfamiliar with Star Wars. Additionally, I'll add a little dictionary at the bottom of every chapter for the things I can't add pictures of. I hope all the image links work, they were giving me trouble while editing. 
> 
> An enormous thank you to Maria, Shoshana, and Din for editing this and advising me on readability, especially Maria! Without y'all this would be a disaster haha. 
> 
> A little disclaimer: This story is set within the Star Wars universe during The Clone Wars, and while I have tried to stay as true to Star Wars canon as possibly, I've still taken some creative liberties. The Ian in my story has no relation to Cal Kestis (Cameron Monaghan's character in Jedi: Fallen Order). 
> 
> The title is taken from the Star Wars: Attack of the Clones soundtrack, it's the name of the "love" theme.

“And may the force be with you.”

Ian Gallagher took a deep breath to center himself as the hologram cut off.

The mission was, by all means a simple one; track down a small-time drug smuggler, and bring him before the council for questioning. He’d completed much more difficult and complicated tasks before. He assured himself this was no big deal.

Ian tried not to think about the fact that he was no longer a padawan, and therefore fully responsible if he screwed up, no more letting his old masters take the blame.

He tried to push down his nerves as he made his way to the hangar, he’d trained most of his life for this, he was ready.

The Republic base ship hangar was crowded, buzzing with clone troopers and droids.

He’d initially been sent to the planet along with master [Aayla Secura](https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2Foriginals%2F8e%2Fbb%2F80%2F8ebb80e214f5d0d8c4a7bcd9515e939f.png&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.com%2Fpin%2F348466089894530386%2F&tbnid=7Q3kkSxjuXidhM&vet=12ahUKEwjF1rzmt_ftAhVMbK0KHfgqByEQMygDegUIARC-AQ..i&docid=hfFwcql2DCxR2M&w=999&h=1150&q=aayla%20secura&ved=2ahUKEwjF1rzmt_ftAhVMbK0KHfgqByEQMygDegUIARC-AQ) and a cohort of clones to aid the rebuilding effort on [Ryloth](https://db4sgowjqfwig.cloudfront.net/campaigns/94742/assets/374135/ryloth.jpg?1411588353), Secura's home planet.

Their plans had been going smoothly, and between the hard working [clones](https://lumiere-a.akamaihd.net/v1/images/clone-trooper-armor_607fbd6a.jpeg?region=0%2C92%2C943%2C532) and the [Twi’leks](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/5/54/Twileks.png/revision/latest?cb=20151229035344) determined to rebuild their cities, two Jedis were no longer necessary on the planet. 

Plus, with the war still raging on in other systems, Ian’s presence was needed elsewhere.

Specifically, in a dodgy corner of the outer rim known for being a hub of criminal behavior.

The instructions given to him were clear, travel to the last confirmed location of a drug smuggler known as Milkovich and bring him back to Coruscant alive.

It seemed easy enough, but Ian knew the simplest plans were often the ones most prone to complications. It certainly didn’t help that Milkovich was last seen on the moon of Nar Shaddaa, deep within Hutt controlled territory, and beyond the political control of the republic.

He climbed up into his fighter and began prepping it for deep space travel. The Republic base on Ryloth had a limited ship catalogue, composed entirely of high tech military vessels, all of which would be highly noticeable on a smuggler colony, so Ian was to follow the Corellian trade route up to Christophsis and trade his fighter out for something less conspicuous.

“[R3](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/a/ad/R3S6-SWE.png/revision/latest?cb=20160913051830)," Directed Ian, once he'd cleared the ship for take off, "Set a course for Christophsis, I want to make it there as soon as possible.”

Ian knew that smugglers rarely stayed in place for long, and just because Milkovich was last seen on Nar Shadda didn’t mean he would still be there when Ian arrived. The sooner he could be on his way, the better.

He let the familiar beeping of the astromech droid turning on the flight system settle him.

It was no use getting ahead of himself. He would follow instructions, trust his training, and he’d be back to Coruscant with the smuggler in no time.

As the ship entered [hyperspace](https://nathanxwinghome.files.wordpress.com/2019/03/maxresdefault.jpg), Ian turned on his data pad and reviewed what he knew about his mission once more.

Milkovich was a small time smuggler, likely working for one of the Hutt crime syndicates. Workers like him were a dime a dozen, paid to move drugs, guns, and other unregulated products to clients across the galaxy. A simple enough job, though not without risks. Smugglers couldn’t utilize established trade routes like the one Ian was currently traveling or they’d be subject to regular Republic checkpoints, they often had to create their own passageways or rely on common smuggler routes, an incredibly dangerous endeavor when hitting an object while flying through hyperspace was a sure way to end up as space dust. Nevertheless, smuggling was an easy job for a quick thinking proficient flier, willing to get their hands dirty.

Which is to say, from what Ian gathered, Milkovich wasn’t particularly special. He wasn’t the head of a cartel, or wanted for murder, in fact he likely would never have shown up on Republic radar if the Jedi hadn’t been tracking Separatist movements and keeping their fingers on the metaphorical pulse of any nefarious activity.

As he scrolled through the brief provided, the fighter shooting through hyperspace, Ian realized he likely hadn’t been told the whole story, he was well aware that the council liked to keep important information close to the vest, and for good reason, information was vital currency during war time. What he had been told was that a small time drug smuggler had returned to Nar Shaddaa after making a delivery to what was most likely a deep space Separatist vessel and in a very un-smuggler-like fashion, began asking questions. His probing created enough noise for Republic informants in Hutta Town to catch wind of it. Then, as far as the Council knew, Milkovich disappeared. Whether he ran off and hid, or was captured was up for Ian to determine, but the council was adamant that Milkovich had information that the Jedi needed, and he needed to be brought in, alive, before anyone else got their hands on him.

The R3 unit beeped, pulling Ian out of his ruminations as the ship left hyperspace, the vast turquoise planet of [Christophsis](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTeVUC9m-WlRG0ArBIsrbPtk7c5aOxzO3FLgQ&usqp=CAU) before him.

Ian had heard that it was a beautiful planet with its towering [crystal structures](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS1eaFfPbPLyQ6oQEfjU9glkVw4AS92xolXhw&usqp=CAU), but he’d never had cause to visit before. Unfortunately, he thought to himself as he geared the ship for landing, he wouldn’t be seeing the surface now either as the Republic base was in orbit around the planet’s upper atmosphere.

He pulled into the landing bay, releasing the pressure of his ship, and hopping out.

“Commander Gallagher, good to see you.”

The voice came from a short, blond man in an admiral uniform directing the proceedings in the hangar. 

“Good to see you too admiral..." While Ian had memorized the names of all high ranking Republic Army officials during his training, this particular man’s name alluded him. He hoped his oversight didn’t show. "I’m here to switch my fighter for an unregistered covert ship?”

He either succeeded, or the admiral was used to being forgotten, as he didn’t appear offended.

The admiral nodded once, and motioned for Ian to follow him as he began walking down the hangar at a clipped pace, Ian close behind.

“We don’t have so many ships on this base, I assume you were directed to us as we are the largest Republic base between Ryloth and the Hutt territories. The only unregistered ship we have is an older model, confiscated from a gun runner when it broke down on [Leesis](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/7/76/Christophsis_moon.png/revision/latest/top-crop/width/360/height/450?cb=20120910042209). We managed to repair it to working order but it’s… well don’t try to fly around any sharp turns.”

They stopped in front of a [ship ](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/6/62/Bestoon_Legacy.png/revision/latest?cb=20200102045858) which looked like it was barely held together by tape and tinfoil.

Ian’s eyes widened, pushing his brows up to his hairline. 

He wasn’t an inexperienced pilot, but having grown up in the Jedi temple, learning to fly army vessels, he wasn’t used to flying older ships. The inside of most vessels were regulated, he’d figure it out quickly, but the prospect of flying a ship he knew had been captured in the first place because it broke down? It certainly didn't help calm his nerves.

But well, he didn’t really have a choice. He couldn’t well fly a military vehicle into Hutt Space and expect to be inconspicuous, and spending the extra time flying to another republic base looking for a safer ship would waste valuable time, time which could take Milkovich further from Nar Shaddaa, and harder for Ian to find.

He nodded goodbye, at the admiral, handing back the signed forms, and made his way up the ramp of his new ship, the R3 unit trailing after him.

To be on the safe side, he spent a few moments familiarizing himself with the vessel.

It was a standard civilian commuter with a cockpit, a common area with what Ian assumed would be multiple hidden compartments for smuggled weapons, and a small nook for a bed.

It had one set of guns which could be fired from the cockpit, and were operational as far as he could tell.

As Ian expected, it had no shield capabilities.

All in all, aside from being significantly worn, it wasn’t so different from the other civilian ships he’d flown.

 _As long as it doesn’t break down with me in it,_ he thought as he routed his course to the Smuggler's Moon. 

The flight from Christophsis to Nar Shadda was long, but uneventful.

The ship rattled worryingly as he pulled out of hyperspace. Ian tried not to worry about it. The glimmering moon of [ Nar Shaddaa ]() loomed before him. Its entire surface was one big city, its lights clearly visible from space.

Ian’s stomach dropped as he considered the prospect of searching through an entire moon of smugglers for one particular smuggler. 

His ship descended through the atmosphere and pulled into a landing port near the periphery of Hutta Town.

Before leaving the ship, he exchanged his [Jedi robe](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRPslC6-1VQiHdrqVrahcS-J40mFqL9liDnuw&usqp=CAU) for an unassuming tunic, and a dark hooded cloak.

He tucked his lightsaber securely into the back of his trousers where it couldn’t be pickpocketed, and for good measure, grabbed a pistol blaster as well.

Securing a small bag with money and extra provisions to his side, he locked away anything valuable, including the astromech within the ship.

Ian didn’t trust _anyone_ on this moon.

He pulled the hood of his cloak over his brightly colored and therefore too noticeable hair, walked out of his ship, and into the urban fray that was Nar Shaddaa.

* * *

The first thing Ian noticed was the smell, it was like a mixture of sulphuric mud, and the characteristic ashy scent of a city. He wrinkled his nose, hoping he’d get used to it soon.

The next thing he noticed were the[ drab colors](https://sites.google.com/site/starwarsahiveofscumandvillainy/_/rsrc/1472782212185/home/places/nar-shaddaa/blade_runner_tribute_070408.jpg).

He wasn’t sure why he thought [Nar Shaddaa](https://pm1.narvii.com/7157/0cea04ddfdb341bf97706f94d8b8a41e9dc436b2r1-768-432v2_uhq.jpg) would look like the colorful underbelly of Coruscant, but it looked much rougher, much more worn down.

He got a few suspicious looks as he made his way through the streets, but he was left alone.

Ian knew that the Jedi informant who had passed on the information about Milkovich to the council hadn’t personally seen the man, rather heard his name mentioned at the shady tavern Ian currently stood outside.

It was the closest thing he had to a lead, and the best place to start.

Ian corrected himself as he entered the [tavern](https://lumiere-a.akamaihd.net/v1/images/mos-eisley-cantina-main_4786e80c.jpeg?region=164%2C0%2C953%2C536), it was worse than shady.

Two vaguely humanoid men tussled violently in the center, while the [Gran bartender](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/6/6e/MawhonicHS-DB.png/revision/latest?cb=20150921060124) poured cloudy drinks into cups he doubt had ever been cleaned.

The edges of the room were shaded in darkness, seats taken up by any number of inhabitants Ian couldn’t clearly see.

He walked towards the bar and sat quietly.

After a few moments, the Gran approached him, a hostile look in his three protruding eyes.

“What can I do you for?”

Ian placed a few coins on the table in front of him.

“I’m looking for a man by the name of Milkovich?”

The Gran didn’t move, instead narrowing his eyes as the small pile of coins.

Ian got the hint.

He added a few more pieces to the stack.

The Gran chuckled, grabbing the coins.

“Never heard of him.”

He walked away before Ian could think to stop him. He had to restrain himself from angrily following the bartender, he didn’t think causing a fight in this seedy tavern would help him stay under the radar.

Instead, he sat back down and tapped his fingers on the surface of the bar, wondering what his next move should be, when a man sat down directly to his right.

“Looking for Milkovich huh?”

The man looked at him expectantly.

Ian slid a coin over to him.

“I am. You know him?”

The man flagged down the bartender, paying for his drink with the coin Ian had just given him.

When he was reclining in his seat sipping his drink he answered.

“I don’t know him personally, but I know he works for the Xrexus Cartel.”

Ian considered the man. He was relaxed, kicked back, clearly enjoying his drink. Ian sensed no deception so he continued.

“Any idea how to get in contact with this Xrexus cartel?”

Ian could feel eyes trained on him from the shadows.

He pulled his cloak further over his face.

The man grew quiet, seeming to ponder whether he should continue to entertain Ian. Eventually, he made his decision, 

“Xev Xrexus runs her business out of a bar in the Corellian Sector, on the other side of the moon. For another drink I’ll tell you how to get there.”

Ian nodded to the bartender, and before long, the helpful stranger had another drink in front of him, and was happily explaining how to get from the Corellian transport point to Xrexus’s bar.

* * *

Ian walked out of the tavern and into the humid night time air.

He found a transport heading in the right direction, and settled in for what he expected to be a long, and after looking at the state of the transport vessel, a bumpy ride.

He was glad he’d had the foresight to rest on the ride from Christophsis, he knew it would be a while before he’d be able to get back to the relative safety of his borrowed ship.

Ian was correct in his prediction that the ride would be bumpy, but he arrived at the sector no worse for wear.

This area of the moon was indistinguishable from Hutta Town as far as Ian was concerned, and he found himself glad for the man’s directions as he found the bar easily.

Though still shady, the [bar](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSWRS8fVKh7GdPQ7-_3TLWGH9_mNqLnJYunnQ&usqp=CAU) was much cleaner than the last, as well as much fuller, and after a few seconds of assessment, Ian figured out why.

All the bartenders were young [Twi’lek](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSliCXjyx73Tq3F-aD9CoX87SVw2fCBEZ0qrg&usqp=CAU) women, dressed in extremely revealing outfits, with colorful headdresses wrapped around their lekku.

Ian pushed his hood back and grinned, figuring he could play this to his advantage.

He sat at the bar and smiled at the vibrantly green bartender in front of him.

“What can I get for you, sweetheart?”

Ian figured a softer approach would yield better results this time.

“I’ll have a cup of [spotchka](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRE01QnLHiz7hwMJUHBHBj_V86XToiI-P--fw&usqp=CAU), and another one of those smiles.”

She giggled and he passed her a coin for the glowing drink she deposited in front of him.

With glints of interest in her eyes, the young bartender rested her elbows on the counter, expertly showing off her figure. 

“So Red, what are you in town for?”

Ian sipped his drink, while considering his answer carefully.

“I’m here for business unfortunately," He replied, feigning a casual demeanor as well as he could, "I need to buy some product and get it delivered to a client on Kuat.”

Her playful demeanor shifted slightly into something more serious.

“What kind of product are you looking for?”

Ian grinned at her, looking devious- or so he hoped. 

“Narcotics, pleasure stimulants.”

Her playfulness returned as she cocked her hip, still clearly flirting.

“Well hun, you came to the right place. We can get you anything for the right price.”

_Bingo._

“And the delivery? I want to ensure it gets to my client quickly, and undamaged.”

She turned away for a moment, consulting a data pad.

“Looks like Dogan is available, he’s one of the best.”

Ian pinched his lips,

“This client is incredibly important to me. I was told not to settle for just any smuggler. A friend of mine recommended Milkovich.”

Her eyes narrowed. Ian could tell she had turned suspicious.

“No can do sweetheart. Milkovich disappeared recently. But I can get you another smuggler, even better.”

He leaned in closer,

“See, the friend I mentioned told me that I shouldn’t trust anyone other than Milkovich, that he’s a professional. Any idea where I can find him?”

She considered him for a moment, eyes still narrowed in suspicion. 

“Is this still about looking for someone to deliver product for you?”

Ian smiled sweetly at her, hoping charm would help convince the bartender that he really just was looking to buy some drugs.

It must have worked, her gaze turned sultry as the bartender leaned in as if ready to tell him a secret.

“Well, normally I wouldn’t give out this information to just anyone, but for you, I’ll make an exception," She winked, "There’s a farm out on Tol Amn, they grow some of the raw material we use in our products. Milkovich is always the one to do the supply run there and back, I think he lives there part time.”

He slid her some coins and his most dazzling smile, before leaving the bar to find a ride back to Hutta Town.

He used the extra time in the transport to research more about the Xrexus Cartel’s business on Tol Amn.

While much of the business taking place in Hutt controlled territory was under the table, the Jedi kept tabs on all major cartels in the galaxy, and their financial dealings.

After some time he was able to trace several repeated payments to a shell account geolocated on Tol Amn.

Ian figured the account itself would lead nowhere, but if he just traced the signature… _There it is_.

The payments were being routed to an online deposit box located in the northwest hemisphere of the planet.

Ian was sure if he followed the payments, he’d find the farm, and hopefully, Milkovich as well.

* * *

Ian’s feet were dragging by the time he made it to his ship, and he was having trouble keeping his eyes open.

He had just enough energy to set the ship on autopilot, charted to Tol Amn before he passed out on the small cot, still in his filthy cloak.

His dreams were clouded in shadow.

He could discern very little from the darkness, and what he did see, he couldn’t make sense of.

He saw children, dirty, scared, huddled together in a metal room. He could sense their terror and anguish, it twisted his chest and squeezed at his throat until he could no longer breath.

He was frozen, unable to help the children who needed it, unable to even breath.

The dream tinged red with panic.

Suddenly, a rough voice came from behind him, speaking words Ian couldn’t discern but somehow calming his dread.

He woke up, unease deep in his gut.

He knew that the dreams of Jedi often held seeds of truth, perhaps a vision of the future, or a memory of the past.

While Ian had learned the theory of dreams, he had never successfully interpreted his own, and was still unsure whether the specter he saw last night was a possible reality, or simply a nightmare borne of the stress and anxiety of his first solo mission.

Concern still laced through his body, he pushed his worries to the back of his mind.

It would not do him well to dwell on that which he couldn’t control when he had an assignment to complete.

As he walked into the cockpit, he discovered that he had arrived at Tol Amn sometime in his sleep, and was currently orbiting the stormy planet.

He flew towards the planet, engaging landing protocols.

He had the likely location of the farm Milkovich would be at, but decided it would be a better idea to land the ship somewhat out of the way, so as not to alert anyone of his arrival.

Ian gently lowered the ship into a copse of trees a few miles from the farm.

Rain beat down on the hull, loud enough to distract him from his own thoughts.

The trek to the farm was long, wet, and cold.

He had bundled up in several layers, but the incessant rain seeped through his cloak, soaking his entire body, chilling him to the bone.

The rough muddy terrain slowly transformed into something more well maintained.

Ian saw fields of crops, green and healthy looking, obviously taken care of, though he could see no one in the fields.

Ian approached a small group of buildings, simple, though they appeared to be maintained like the rest of the farm.

The lack of life sent a shiver down his spine.

Something was _wrong_.

And that was when he was attacked from behind.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Milkovich doesn't come easily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, massive thank you to Maria, Shoshana, and Din for editing this chapter, they're the best. 
> 
> I've already started Chapter Three, I'm hoping to be able to post chapters every few days, at least while I'm on break.

Ian was a Jedi.

He had spent more than seventeen years training in the martial arts, honing his strength, learning how to rely on his senses and the force.

Jedi were steady on their feet, always prepared, and constantly aware of their surroundings, but if there is one thing Ian always excelled at, it was fighting.

He doesn’t quite remember his life before the Jedi. He isn’t even certain what planet he was born on. He was young when he was brought to the temple at four, though slightly older than most Jedi younglings when they usually begin their training.

He doesn’t remember a mother or father, but he’s sure someone took care of him, when he thinks of it, all he can see is a warm pair of brown eyes.

He remembers, even at a young age, fighting with other children on the street for food, huddling in corners against the cold.

Though far from the dangers of the street in the Jedi Temple, Ian’s tenacity never left. He was scrappy. There were masters who disapproved and shook their heads, but Ian was a good Jedi. He learned quickly, he was determined. He was willing to work hard, and it paid off in his studies where Ian was less naturally inclined.

His natural abilities truly shone through in the physical arena.

Ian had mastered several lightsaber forms quickly, able to hold his own against distinguished Jedi Knights like Master [Kit Fisto](https://giantbomb1.cbsistatic.com/uploads/scale_medium/4/46575/1430520-kit_fisto_cg.jpg) and [Obi Wan Kenobi](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/star-wars-episode-iii-revenge-of-the-sith-obi-wan.jpg) before he’d even been assigned as a padawan.

Ian was a Jedi, a good one too, and like any Jedi, hard to sneak up on.

But as a sudden weight hit him from behind and he fell face first into the mud, he didn’t feel quite like a Jedi.

The shock blew the wind out of him.

His attacker had the element of surprise, and apparently brute strength on his side, if it wasn’t for his training, Ian more than likely would have been pinned immediately. As it was, he still found himself at a disadvantage.

He twisted so his back was to the ground which freed up his arms and legs, but left his face open to attack, and attack the opposing man did.

He landed a punch to Ian’s cheek before Ian even had a chance to push him off.

Quickly climbing to his feet, Ian sized the man up.

He was pale, with dark hair, and surprisingly short considering the power of his first attack, but he came at Ian with a wild ferocity.

Ian had no time to pull out his saber or blaster, too busy blocking punch after punch.

“Where’s your lightsaber asshole?” The man spat in between blows.

Ian’s eyebrows shot to the top of his forehead.

The question burst forth before Ian could stop himself.

“How did you know I’m Jedi?”

He would have slapped himself if the other man wasn’t already trying to do it for him.

_Way to give away your position early, stupid._

The man sneered at him,

“Please, who else would come waltzing onto a secluded property like he owns the place?”

Ian refrained from pointing out the obvious, that if he didn’t want trespassers, he should have posted a guard or even put up a fence.

Something about his voice poked at Ian’s memory, though he knew he had never met him before.

They circled each other, both already muddy and bruised, giving Ian the moment of reprieve he needed to pull his [saber](https://ultrasabers.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Glowing-Green-Lightsaber.jpg) out.

He wasn’t sure what reaction he expected from the three feet of glowing green energy, but the vicious smile the man shot him wasn’t it.

While he reached to his belt to grab something, Ian held his saber out in front of him, ready to begin repelling blaster fire.

Instead, the man surprised him by pulling out a small piece of metal that quickly expanded into a long, sturdy looking staff.

He aimed a series of sharp hits at Ian’s upper body, making it hard for Ian to defend himself without hitting his own body.

The man was clearly either an experienced fighter, or knew how to combat Jedi.

Still he couldn’t keep it up once Ian had figured out the pattern, and Ian soon found an opening and sliced the staff in two.

The man snarled and reared back, ready to thrust the red hot piece of metal into Ian’s face.

“Stop,” Commanded Ian, “I’m not here to hurt you, I just want to talk.”

The man’s expression became even more hostile, if that was possible.

“Like fuck, the Space Cops never just want to talk.”

As a show of good faith, Ian turned the blade off, and tucked it back into his belt.

He held his arms in front of him, showing he was holding no other weapons.

Still on guard, the man still glared at him suspiciously.

“I promise, you’re not in trouble, but if you refuse to come with me, I will have to use force. You’re Milkovich right?”

His lack of response was answer enough in itself.

Milkovich began backing up, looking around for an avenue of escape.

Ian had to think of something fast, before he disappeared.

“You’re hiding out here right?” His eyes shot to Ian’s, and Ian was almost distracted by how strikingly blue they were. He pushed the thought aside and continued, “I was able to find you in less than a day of searching. Whoever you’re hiding from won’t have much trouble either. If you come with me, you’ll be in Jedi custody. I can guarantee your safety.”

Milkovich’s lips pinched together. He looked like he wanted to argue, but he knew as well as Ian did that he would be safest with the Jedi.

Eventually, he let out a resigned sigh, looking aggravated.

Ian had to stifle a smile at the man’s almost comically exaggerated expressions, as if his every emotion was painted on his face.

“Fine.”

He turned on his heel and walked stiffly towards one of the nearby buildings.

Ian followed him at a distance, wanting to respect the man’s privacy, but not willing to let him out of sight.

He followed him as Milkovich collected his belongings, and what looked like a shocking amount of weapons in a small bag.

“Alright, lead the way space wizard.”

He began the miserable trek back to the ship.

The rain had lessened slightly, but still came down heavily.

Milkovich didn’t look bothered, he appeared to be wearing some sort of slick fabric which the water just slid off of.

“Sorry Milkovich, it’s a few miles to the ship.”

The man shrugged,

“Whatever. And don’t call me that, my name is Mickey.”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you Mickey, I’m Ian.”

Ian smiled at him, trying to prove his goodwill, but the man just continued scowling at him.

The walk passed mainly in silence, though Ian didn’t feel particularly uncomfortable.

Once at the ship, Milko- Mickey’s laugh shocked him.

“This is your ship?” Mickey asked, voice full of disbelief, as his eyes darted around the vessel, a slight smirk on his face, “This is a shithole.”

Ian couldn’t argue with that.

“Well I couldn’t exactly fly onto Nar Shadda in a military vessel,” Says Ian, suddenly feeling the need to defend his image as a Republic official, “It would have drawn too much attention.”

Mickey eyed him,

“You have all the resources of The Republic behind you, and they give you this piece of shit? They trying to quietly get rid of you or something?”

Ian rolled his eyes, he figured Mickey was trying to get a rise out of him.

“I was stationed in the Outer Rim. There was no time to fly to the Core for a better ship.”

He watched as Mickey made his way up the ramp and into the ship like he owned it.

“Whatever dude.”

Now both inside, Mickey followed Ian into the cockpit.

He settled against the wall as Ian woke the astromech droid and settled into the pilot chair.

“I’m setting a course to Coruscant, it’s gonna take a while in this thing. May as well settle in for the night. You can take the cot, I’ll stay in here.”

Mickey’s brows furrowed.

“You’re letting me take your bed?”

“Of course,” Ian called out as he fiddled with the controls. He turned to look at the man in front of him, “You’re not a prisoner, did you think I’d make you sleep on the metal floor?”

The man shrugged, but didn’t argue.

Soon he’d disappeared from the cockpit.

Ian wasn’t worried, the ship had no escape pod and once they were in space. Mickey would have nowhere to go.

He sent a quick transmission to the Jedi council.

_I have Milkovich. En route to Coruscant._

* * *

The long walk in the rain and vicious fight had sapped his energy, it didn’t take long for Ian to begin drifting off to sleep.

Right in the moment between wakefulness and sleep, Ian realized why Mickey’s voice had sounded so oddly familiar.

The rough, comforting voice from his dream, undoubtedly belonged to Mickey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ship is a piece of shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't going to post this tonight, but after today, I think we're all in need of a distraction from the shitshow that is America. 
> 
> Thank you [ Maria ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mprods/pseuds/mprods) for doing a marvelous job editing this! Go check out her new Shameless/Schitt's Creek crossover fic, its hilarious!
> 
> Okay, I think I finally figured out the linking issue and it should be fixed now, but let me know if any of the links don't work.  
> 

He was in the room with the children again. 

This time, he could see more detail. 

The children were in the cargo hold of a ship. Ian wasn’t sure how he knew, but he could tell they were deep in space, far from any other life forms. 

It was cold. The children had no blankets, they huddled together for warmth. 

He could hear soft whimpers coming from a small [Togruta](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/star-wars-pathfinder/images/f/fc/Ahsoka_Tano_01.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/340?cb=20170618205501) girl, she was younger than the others, her lekku still just small stubs. 

An older girl held her, stroking the girls cheeks, trying to quiet her tears. 

“Shhhhh, Kai. You know what’ll happen if they hear you cry.”

A young boy had blood running down his face from a gash on his forehead, his cheeks sallow. His knees were pulled up to his chest and he held them as he shivered. 

Ian tried to walk to them, he needed to help them, he needed to do something, but his body refused to obey. 

The children gasped and turned to look at something beyond Ian’s field of vision. 

He could hear loud footsteps echoing on the metal hull of the ship. 

“Ian! Fuck, Ian wake the hell up!” 

Ian jolted awake, flashing red lights disorienting him. 

Mickey leaned over him pounding at the control board, visibly frustrated. 

The blaring alarm forced Ian to come to his senses. There was smoke flooding the control room and alert messages scrolling across the dash. 

“What happened?” Ian asked an increasingly agitated Mickey. 

“I have no clue, man. This is your fucking ship! I woke up when the alarm started.” 

Ian leaned forward, attempting to interpret the alerts. 

From what he could tell, some circuits had blown, frying the vessel’s internal computer, and screwing the pressurization mechanism. The engine was overheated, and if the jerking was any indication, the ship was threatening to break apart at any moment. 

“We’re going to have to make an emergency landing”, Ian shouted while the alarms continued to screech. “R3, search for any nearby celestial bodies.” 

The droid beeped and projected a planet before Ian, it seemed close enough. If they were lucky, Ian estimated they could make it. 

“This planet isn’t even named, how do we know it’s breathable?” Yelled Mickey, seemingly alert to what Ian was doing, while still consumed with trying to mitigate the damage. 

“We don’t, but the vacuum of space definitely isn’t and that’s our only other option.” Ian motioned towards an area of the control panel, “I need you to keep the cockpit pressurized and control the engine output so we don’t explode. I’ll do my best to get us there in one piece.” 

Ian didn’t see Mickey’s reaction, he was focused on piloting the ship in the direction of the planet. 

The next few minutes were tense as the smoke thickened and the ship continued jerking. The loud alarm and flashing red lights weren’t helping Ian relax, but eventually, a small greenish [planet](https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/system/resources/list_images/219_607694main_Kepler22bArtwork_full%28S%29_320x240.png) appeared in the front window. 

“Here we go, here we go.” 

The plant grew as they sped towards it, soon Ian could feel its gravity pulling them in. 

Bright red [flames](https://www.teslarati.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Starship-reentry-Earth-SpaceX-1-crop-5-edit-1.jpg) licked at the viewing port as they entered the planet’s atmosphere. 

The small corner of Ian’s brain not devoted to steering the ship noted that the flames at least indicated the presence of oxygen in the atmosphere. 

The ground reached up to meet them as they fell through the sky, much too fast for Ian’s comfort. 

“I’m going to engage emergency landing protocols,” he shouted over to Mickey, “If we’re lucky, we won’t vaporize immediately as soon as we hit the ground.” 

Ian focused intently on pulling the levers and keeping the steering controls steady, no room in him for panic. 

His field of awareness narrowed to the controls before him and the man beside him, a steely look in his eyes as he worked to keep the ship from bursting. 

Ian’s last thought before they met the ground and everything went dark in an explosion of chaos, was that if this was how he was going to go, at least he wasn’t alone. 

* * *

Ian’s head was pounding worse than it ever had before, and his chest ached when he tried to breathe. 

Opening his eyes, he was momentarily blinded by the sun’s bright rays. He moved his hand up to shield his eyes and evaluated his surroundings. 

He appeared to be in a vast field of wild untamed [grasses](https://ak.picdn.net/shutterstock/videos/19323223/thumb/1.jpg). The flaming wreck of the ship several yards to his left. He must have been thrown during the crash.

_Mickey_ , he remembered, eyes widening. He moved to push himself up, and though his ribs protested, he made it to his feet and limped towards the wreckage. 

Circling it quickly, he saw no sign of the man, and as far he could tell, he wasn’t further out in the fields like Ian had been. Panic rising in his chest, Ian focused on the vessel itself, which still smoldered, looking more like a pile of scrap metal than a ship. 

He had to find Mickey, he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if the man had died in his custody. This had been Ian’s mission, his ship. 

_It was my fault_ , he thought to himself, afflicted. 

He had to find him. 

With adrenaline pumping through his body, the Jedi tore through the wreckage, relying on the help of the Force and his saber until finally, _there._

A pale hand stuck out from below a large, warped sheet of metal. 

The sheet was firmly twisted, but Ian was eventually able to lift it. He unearthed Mickey from below, looking to be whole, and though unconscious, relatively unharmed. 

Ian hesitated briefly, he knew it wasn’t safe to move Mickey until he could better assess his injuries, but leaving him there seemed riskier, the fuel tank could still explode. Finally he grabbed him, lifting the smaller man over his shoulder, intent on putting a safer distance between them and the ship.

“What the fuck?” Slurred Mickey from over Ian’s shoulder. “Put me the fuck down, Red!” Ian set him down, and though he stumbled, reaching out for balance, Mickey was able to stand without much help. 

“We crashed on the planet.” Ian explained, realizing he was stating the obvious only after the words had left his mouth.

Apparently even a potential concussion couldn’t tame Mickey’s dramatics, Ian noted, because the man shot him a sharp glare. 

“Yeah no shit,” he sighed deeply, “At least we can fucking breathe,” 

They both took in their [surroundings](https://previews.123rf.com/images/dcodegoni/dcodegoni1611/dcodegoni161100136/69418868-kruger-national-park-savannah-vegetation-yellow-grass-south-africa.jpg), then. There was nothing that Ian could see except for a few stunted looking trees here and there. 

Mickey groaned, running a hand down his face in an exasperated manner. 

“The one time, _one time_ , I decide to cooperate with the space cops, I end up crashing on an uninhabited planet in the outer rim. Fuck you, man.” 

Ian felt bad. Mickey was right after all, he wouldn’t be in this mess if it wasn’t for Ian and his orders from the council. 

The brunette stumbled a bit as he tried to walk away from Ian, visibly pissed off by the circumstances he found himself in. It didn’t help when Ian tried to lay a hand on the man’s shoulder, in an effort to steady him. Mickey just shook him off, turning around only to shoot him a glare so sharp it could have cut steel. 

Figuring it would be better just to discuss more utilitarian matters, Ian moved on to planning their next moves. 

“We’re going to have to scavenge through the wreck for supplies,” he informed Mickey as he walked behind him, “I packed several weeks worth of provisions, hopefully some of it survived the crash, but we’ll have to wait for the fire to go out. I'm hoping it won’t reach the tank ‘cause if-“ 

“Yeah, yeah, if the fire hits the fuel tank, the whole thing is gonna blow, I got it, captain fuckin’ obvious.” He shot back, seemingly even more ticked than he was before. “I’m gonna lie down.” 

Mickey promptly plopped to the ground. He peeled his jacket off, bundled it up into a pillow, and placed it behind his head as he lay back against the grass and threw an arm over his eyes to block out the intense sun. 

Ian watched him, a small smile playing across his face despite himself. Shrugging, he sat down, pulling his legs into a crossed position, figuring now was a better time than any to meditate on his predicament. 

Taking a deep breath in and exhaling slowly, he tried to center himself. He focused on the feeling of the grass beneath him, and the wind as it blew across his face. He reached out with the force, stretching his field of awareness to the world around him- 

“Are you fuckin’ meditating right now?” 

And there went his concentration. 

Ian cracked an eye open and trained it on the man beside him. 

Mickey’s eyebrows were scrunched and he looked at Ian like he’d grown another head. 

“Well I was trying to.” 

Mickey scoffed. “Great, stuck in the middle of nowhere with a Jedi who meditates after crashing the shittiest ship I’ve ever seen.” 

“It could help,” Ian said calmly, though the other man still looked skeptical. 

“It could! Meditating often helps me think of ideas I normally couldn’t, or it allows me to sense things far off that can’t be seen.” 

Mickey shrugged, a smug expression still playing on his lips. 

“Then by all means, don’t like me stop you, magic man.” 

* * *

The flames fizzled out without much fanfare or explosion within a few hours. 

Ian jostled his sleeping companion from his nap.

Mickey sat up and stretched, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. 

“The fire is out. I don’t know how long the days last on this rock, but at the very least we need to build some type of camp and see what we can pull from the ship.” 

Ian rose, holding his hand out for Mickey to grab, though the man hesitated, an unreadable expression in his eyes. 

Ian sighed, 

“Listen, I know this isn’t ideal, and I know you didn’t want to come with me in the first place, but if we want to survive, we’ll have to work together.” 

Mickey closed his eyes again, a hand pinching the bridge of his nose. But before Ian could go on, the smuggler pushed himself up, pointedly ignoring Ian’s offered hand. 

“I get it man, I don’t want to die here anymore than you do,” he motioned to the ship, what was left of it at least, “Let’s get to it.” 

Together, Ian and Mickey hesitantly approached the wreck to scavenge what they could. 

Ian let out an anxious breath looking at the mess before him. The only part of the ship even remotely still intact was the cockpit, ironically the only part of the ship that didn’t have supplies that would be useful for them. The rest of the ship resembled a pile of scrap more than anything else, and Ian wasn’t sure if they’d be able to find much. Still he had to try. Without the right tools, they’d die on this rock. 

As far he could tell, Mickey appeared much less bothered as he poked through the remains, sometimes throwing pieces farther off, presumably to be used later. 

Ian rummaged through what he was pretty sure used to be the small common area, and he found a pile of wrinkled blankets that had been shielded from the fire by a sheet of metal. He threw them in the same direction as the growing pile of Mickey’s recovered goods. He wasn’t familiar with what the weather was like on this planet, but the extra warmth would no doubt come in handy. Ian had learned through his training that small planets like this, with their thin atmospheres, were prone to extreme heat or cold depending on whether it was facing its sun or not. Compounding the issue, the planet was open, and relatively dry, with no large nearby bodies of water or forests to retain heat. Whatever warmth the sun beat down onto the ground during the day would dissipate as soon as the sun dropped below the horizon.

Both men kept silent as they foraged for supplies, so when Mickey shouted triumphantly. Ian turned to look at him.

“Fuck yeah! I just found the water synthesizer, it’s almost completely intact. I can definitely repair it.” 

With those words, a large chunk of stress flew off of Ian’s shoulders. They could do without food for a while, even a few weeks if absolutely necessary, but they wouldn’t last more than a few days without water, and luckily, they wouldn’t have to. 

“If you start working on that now I’ll keep looking through to see what else I can find.” He offered with a smile, more optimistic now than he had been since they began their search. 

Mickey threw him an only halfway mocking salute. And settled down against the hull to fiddle with the synthesizer. 

Ian kept scavenging, but other than the blankets from earlier, the synthesizer, and several large pieces of scrap metal which could be used to build a makeshift shelter, he couldn’t find much else. It seemed whatever provisions packed had burned up in the fire. At least he still had his lightsaber.

Disappointed, Ian moved to go look over what Mickey had collected. Though to him, it honestly looked like a pile of junk.

“What is this stuff?” Ian directed at the man currently twisting wires together with a kind of single minded focus he wouldn’t expect from a smuggler. 

Mickey looked up from what he was doing, his expression hard. 

“What, you don’t trust me? Gonna double check everything I’m doing, boss?” 

Ian sighed, not sure what to do about Mickey’s combativeness. He’d been nothing but civil all day, but fuck if it wasn’t tiring sometimes

“I’m just curious, man.” Hands gesturing to the stack that lay in front of him. “Maybe I can help?” 

Mickey just rolled his eyes. 

“They’re pieces of scrap that can be used to build something else. I’m not sure what yet, but anything can come in handy.” 

Ian nodded, picking up some of the metal pieces for closer inspection. He was pleasantly surprised by the man’s savvy resourcefulness. Maybe their chances of making it off this planet alive were better than he’d initially assumed. 

“Hey, Firecrotch,” 

Ian started at the unexpected and wholly inappropriate nickname. Mickey returned Ian’s glare with a smirk. 

“While I’m doing this, you want to go cut down some firewood with your fancy sword?”

Ian’s brow furrowed. 

“You mean my lightsaber?” he asked, putting down what seemed to be the remnants of the ship’s intercom, before making his way over to the other man “Reckless destruction of a living creature is against the Jedi Code.” 

Mickey gave him a look that meant he thought Ian was dumber than a whole herd of [bantha](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/4/42/Bantha_AaA.png/revision/latest?cb=20190417032609). 

“If we don’t get a fire going when the sun goes down, we’ll freeze to death on this tiny planet.” the man stated matter of factly. “How’s that for reckless destruction of a living creature, oh noble one?” He crossed his arms, as if changing Ian to reply.

And well, Ian couldn’t exactly argue with that very sound logic, even if Mickey was infuriating. Refusing to rise to the bait, he began the trek to one of the far off stunted trees, wondering if every smuggler was as quick witted and exasperating as the one he managed to get himself stuck with.

* * *

By the time the redhead made it back to the crash site, he was covered in sweat, and his shoulders ached from lugging a large pile of firewood across the plains. 

He’d taken his robe off to use as a makeshift bag, so his pale shoulders had already tinged red from the intense sun. He knew they would sting for the rest of the day.

Ian dropped the pile of wood down on the ground, groaning from the pain in his muscles. He hadn’t realized how far he’d walked until he had to carry several dozen pounds of awkwardly shaped wood back to camp. 

Mickey startled at the sound and turned to face him, eyes catching on Ian’s bare chest. He promptly turned back to where he was setting up a lean-to, but not fast enough for Ian not to notice the pink coloring his cheeks. 

Ian ignored the slight twist he felt in his chest at Mickey’s blush, and moved to stand besides him. 

“What do you need help with?” 

Mickey glanced at him, almost succeeding in looking annoyed by Ian’s presence 

“I’ve set up the frame of this shelter, but I’m going to need help picking up and placing the larger sheets of metal.” He said as he rose to his feet. Ian let Mickey direct him to the pieces of scrap metal Mickey had pulled aside. 

Together they assembled a passable [shelter](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/e3xRBMBgqRBCCi7-66uSEjpyBEF_fvULBV__rlN2TC2uc-PULC3XPDmp0b51oUhjks5KrAUTXHxSY4Vw0Vk7Gth4mVwjqUq5Tg) that would hopefully shield them from the elements. They finished just in time, as the sun had begun to set, and Ian could feel the temperature dropping rapidly.

A breeze blew over his still sweaty body and he shivered, grabbing his robe to put back on. Ian wasn’t surprised at the shift in temperature. 

The fire helped. 

Ian built it as close to the shelter as he safely could, hoping the warmth would spread and keep them warm overnight. 

Exhausted from the day’s ordeal, and with nothing else left to do, they both crawled into the shelter to go to sleep. It was a small space for two grown men, but it was the best they could do, and the body heat would at least keep them warm. 

Mickey grumbled about it, but he wasn’t stupid, exposing himself to the harsh elements overnight was considerably a worse fate than sharing a sleeping space with a “space cop” as he’d put it. 

Scooting as far away from Ian as the shelter allowed, he settled in. 

The two men lay shoulder to shoulder, listening to the wind howling through the grass and against the metal sheeting. 

Despite his exhaustion, Ian had trouble letting go of the stress which plagued his mind, causing his muscles to tense. He wasn’t sure how long they’d be able to survive in this inhospitable environment, and he had no idea if there was even a way to escape. The ship was beyond repair and the fact that the planet wasn’t named meant it most likely didn’t have intelligent life, and therefore no one to go to for help. No matter how much Ian wracked his brain, he couldn’t think of a way to get off this rock and every second that passed, he could feel any optimism he had conjured up, disappear . 

“Fuck, your thoughts are so damn loud it’s keeping me from falling asleep,” Snapped Mickey, managing to tug the blanket off Ian as he shifted in the small space. 

After a moment, his tone softened somewhat.

“We’ll figure out a plan tomorrow,” Mickey assured Ian, though it seemed to him he was also trying to convince himself, “We’ll be fine.” 

Ian wasn’t sure how the man had so easily picked up on his worries, but he found Mickey’s surety calming nonetheless. They _would_ figure out a plan. And they’d be fine. 

Mickey drifted off, and while calmer, Ian still found himself struggling to sleep. After a few minutes, he had the odd sense that they weren’t alone. 

Ian closed his eyes, reaching out with the force, and he felt… _something._

Extricating himself from the blankets, he crawled out of the shelter to take a better look. 

Twisting around, he saw nothing but grasses swaying in the wind. But his senses weren’t wrong, they’d kept him alive in the past. 

He reached out to the force once more, breathing deeply.

Right at the edge of his awareness, he could feel a flicker of life, pulsing like a heartbeat. He honed in on it, trying to gauge what kind of life force it was, but his perception was blurry.

Was it… getting closer? 

Ian’s eyes shot open in time to see a large dark shape pounce on him from the shadows. 

He barely had enough time to put his hands up before he was being forced down onto his back by the muscled cat-like [creature](https://starwarsblog.starwars.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2015/08/nexu_1fb94255.jpeg). It’s tooth filled head was directly in front of Ian’s face. He could smell its breath when it growled at him. 

Ian’s lightsaber was tucked into his waistband, but his hands were occupied with keeping the creature far enough away from his jugular. 

He kicked it hard, which did nothing except make it angrier. 

Ian’s arms were burning. He wasn’t sure how long he could hold off the creature, which didn’t seem to be tiring at all. 

He was about to make a desperate grab for his saber, hoping the beast wouldn’t bite anything too vital in the time it took him to grab his weapon, when a blaster shot rang out across the field. 

The creature went limp, listing to the side. 

Ian could feel the creature’s life leave its body. Still shaken from the sudden attack, he focused on getting his breath back to normal. Sitting up, he found Mickey standing just outside the entrance to the shelter, holding a smoking blaster. 

“Well,” said the man still brushing sleep from his eyes, “That solves our food issue.” 

The statement was so absurd, Ian couldn’t help but laugh. 

Mickey looked at him, different emotions passing through his eyes too quickly for Ian to read, 

“Get some sleep, Red. I’ll process it for meat and get rid of the carcass. We don’t want to leave it out for anything else to come for it.” 

Maybe Ian should have argued or thanked him, but he was so tired that all do was nod and make for the shelter. 

This time, despite the cold, when Ian settled into the blankets, sleep came easily. 

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you tell I used to be obsessed with wilderness survival?  
> Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian and Mickey work together to find a way off the planet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you to [ Maria ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mprods/pseuds/mprods) for editing this chapter, go check out her stuff!   
> Disclaimer, I am like the least math/engineering minded person out there, and so while I'm sure I could find ample information about how ships work in the Star Wars universe, I doubt I would fully understand it, so I'm winging this. Please don't hold my lack of spaceship knowledge against me.

They stood, side by side, hands on their hips, surveying the ship… or at least what was left of it.

The intense sun was a stark contrast from the frigid night, and Ian knew he was going to get burnt. Again.

“So,” Ian said, drawing Mickey out of contemplation, “What are the chances we can fix this thing?”

Mickey had shown he knew more about both ships and repairing broken tech than Ian had initially imagined.

Ian, like all Jedi, had been through basic training in dealing with the machines and technology that their world relied on, but classroom training couldn’t beat life experience, which it was clear Mickey had in spades. Ian was more than happy to defer to him in this instance.

Mickey pursed his lips, and cocked his head, still thinking.

He took a slow loop around the crash site.

“So here’s the deal,” Mickey sighed, clearly aggravated with the situation, “the ship as a whole is beyond repair. Not to mention we picked it apart to make camp.”

Ian grimaced.

“Damned if we do, damned if we don’t.”

Mickey nodded in acknowledgement, but continued,

“Despite that, the cockpit is mostly intact. It’s the most reinforced part of any ship, plus during landing we diverted all energy to keeping it from breaking apart upon impact. It’s probably what saved us when we crashed, and with some work, I might be able to turn it into a kind of makeshift shuttle. It definitely won’t hold up in hyperspace, but it could maybe get us to the next inhabited system.”

It sounded almost too good to be true.

“Do we have the tools to manage this?”

This time, Mickey grimaced.

“Maybe,” he went over to his pile of scrap to rummage through it, pulling a few pieces out, “I can make a rudimentary welding torch, and that’s the most important tool. The problem is it won’t have much power so it’ll take longer than normal, which will use up most of the fuel we have.”

Ian had filled up when he initially left Nar Shaddaa, but not since then. Limited supply indeed. 

“Can we use my lightsaber instead?”

Mickey considered.

“Bring it here, let’s test it out.”

Mickey pulled two pieces of junk metal from the crash site, one larger than the other.

“Try welding the smaller piece onto the bigger one. If it works, that solves a major problem.”

Mickey held the end of the smaller piece put for Ian.

Lighting up his saber, he gingerly brought the blade closer to the end of the piece and held it for a few moments, until the metal glowed [bright red](https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-1827a3e713cffc41e2bfaeba93ed6463).

At the same time, Mickey pressed the pieces together, applying pressure for a minute.

Ian stepped back and put his saber away.

Mickey’s hands still held both pieces of metal.

“Ready for the big reveal.”

Mickey moved one hand, and to Ian’s immense relief, the pieces stayed together.

They both let out loud breaths.

Suddenly, Mickey threw the piece on the ground near Ian’s feet, hard, shocking Ian and forcing him to jump back so as to not be hit.

“Why’d you do that?”

Mickey smirked,

“It’s all well and good if it stays together when I’m holding it, but it’s going to have to stay together even under intense pressure. I was just making sure it wouldn’t fall apart.”

Ian narrowed his eyes. He could have thrown it in any other direction.

Mickey just shot him a shit eating grin.

“Maybe warn me next time.”

The man shrugged,

“No promises.”

* * *

They passed hours working together welding shut the cracks and turning the cockpit into a self contained, pressure sealed shuttle.

The work was incredibly slow going; they were only two people and the tools they had were either rudimentary or not intended for the purpose for which they were being used.

It was frustrating, tiring work.

Ian was sweating through his robes, and while it might be cooler if he took them off, his back and shoulders were burnt and sore from the small amount of time he’d spent yesterday without his robes.

Mickey had no such qualms, he’d taken his shirt off and wrapped it around his head to block out the rays of sun.

Ian found that in order to focus on the task at hand, he couldn’t look in Mickey’s direction.

He wasn’t willing to consider the implications of that. He was a Jedi. He was disciplined. This wouldn’t be an issue.

* * *

By the time the sun began setting, they were only half finished.

It meant they faced at least another day or more of hard sweaty work before they were able to leave the planet.

As the temperature began to drop, they settled by the fire, a chunk of cat-monster meat roasting above it on a spit.

The meat was stringy, and tasted oddly like fish, but it was better than nothing, that was for sure.

Though they’d spent the entire day working together, most of it had been in silence.

Ian realized that despite relying on each other for basic survival, they still barely knew anything about one another.

“So Mickey,” began Ian, resolving to start a conversation despite Mickey’s scowl, “Are you from Tol Amn? Or do you just work on the farm there.”

Mickey scoffed,

“No, I’m not from that shithole. Property was cheap, I needed somewhere I could grow my shit.”

The next logical thing would be for Mickey to say where he was from, but the man seemed determined not to elaborate.

Unfortunately for him, Ian was just as determined to make a conversation.

“So… where are you from.”

Mickey looked at him for a moment, an unidentifiable expression in his eyes.

“Why do you care?”

Ian sighed,

“Because we’re stuck on an uninhabited planet together, fighting for our lives and I still barely know you.”

Mickey’s shoulders slumped, and he seemed to deflate.

“Yeah yeah fine. I was born and raised in the [lower](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f4/9a/bb/f49abbf5e446c580aebe5455ac2b32e4.jpg) [levels](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/5c/61/16/5c6116bb105836b2553a04711a132d79.png) of [Coruscant](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/c/c7/Senate_District_ROTS.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/340?cb=20160228141826). My father worked for one of the smaller cartels on the planet. I grew up around cartels so when I had to leave, I naturally fell in with one. I bought the farm on Tol Amn because it was a way to make extra money when smuggling jobs were thin.”

Ian watched the man as he avoided eye contact and poked at the fire with a stick.

“Why’d you need to leave Coruscant? I mean, there’s plenty of lucrative opportunities there, why go all the way to Hutt space?”

Mickey met Ian’s eyes for a brief moment before looking back at the fire.

Ian couldn’t help being captivated by the way the light from the flame flickered across the man’s pale face.

“Well it wasn’t my choice. My dear old dad tried to murder me a couple of times, so I figured it was safer to just leave the planet all together.”

Ian’s eyes widened.

He had never had a family other than the Jedi, so he didn’t know what a normal family dynamic was, but he’s pretty sure that wasn’t it.

“I’m sorry that happened to you,” Ian said softly. Mickey nodded but said nothing, “do you mind if I ask why that happened?”

Mickey laughed without humor.

“You can ask. My father, well, let’s just say he has strong opinions about men who fuck other men.”

Ian’s brow creased in confusion,

“You mean your father tried to kill you because you’re gay? I didn’t realize that was something that happened.”

Now it was Mickey’s turn to look confused.

“You didn’t know that people are homophobic? Are you fucking with me?”

“No I mean, I know it used to be a thing. I didn’t realize people still believed that. I was raised by the Jedi, I was told that everyone has different preferences and that differences are what make the world balanced.”

Mickey’s brows were almost at his hairline.

“You really don’t know people still get attacked for being gay?”

Ian shook his head.

“Well shit, I want to live in your world. So the Jedi temple is basically a free love commune?”

“Well, no,” Ian frowned, “Attachment of any kind is forbidden according to the Jedi code. As such romantic and sexual relationships are forbidden.”

“That sounds fucked up. You’re not allowed any attachments? Not even to your friends?”

“Attachments are dangerous. Feeling attached to any physical being can lead to feelings of jealousy, resentment, and fear, all of which can corrupt a Jedi. That doesn’t mean we’re heartless. We’re supposed to be compassionate and kind, but we must always keep our distance.”

Mickey still looked troubled, and Ian couldn’t blame him. The Jedi code was strict, and hard for non-Jedi to understand. But Ian lived his life by the code. He’d fought Sith Lords before, he knew how easy it was to slip and fall into the dark side.

It was quiet for several moments, before Mickey spoke up again, this time about something else.

“You haven’t asked me about the information I supposedly have.”

Ian was surprised Mickey so readily brought it up, but he supposed there was no one to overhear them.

“Technically it’s not my business. I was just sent to find you and bring you before the council. I wasn’t even told what you’re wanted for, other than that you had valuable information,” Ian thought for a moment, before adding, “but I can’t say I’m not curious.”

Mickey sighed.

“It was kids, man.”

Ian was confused.

“What do you mean? What were kids?”

Mickey rubbed at his temples as if he had a sudden headache.

“Listen, I’ve seen a lot of shady shit. My work isn’t exactly legal, and the people I sell to aren’t really upstanding citizens, so it’s not like I’m some pearl clutching aristocrat. But a client, the only name they gave was Tyranus, ordered a large amount of Renatyl, a sedative. I was told to deliver it to the coordinates provided, it wasn’t near any system, and when I arrived it was just a space station. I boarded the station to finish the transaction, I wanted it over and done with, I don’t know why but something felt off."

Ian noticed that man’s shoulders had tensed as he recounted the story.

“I met with a man, he was wearing a uniform with a [symbol](https://pm1.narvii.com/6465/a53650e3e948c1198d96abc9a050528c988df9a2_00.jpg), it looked like a blue hexagon, with a circle in the middle and spokes like a wheel-“

“That’s the symbol of the Confederacy. It must have been a Separatist vessel.”

Mickey pursed his lips,

“Must have been. Everything was super high tech, not sure who else has the resources for that. So I gave him the drugs, he gave me the credits, and I was ready to hightail it out of there. But on the way back to my ship, I passed by what must have been a cargo hold because it was full of crates. I heard crying, so I went to take a look, and I saw a group of children.”

Mickey paused. He was scratching the top of his nose, a nervous tick, Ian figured.

“They were just huddled there on the floor, and they looked freezing and miserable. I wasn’t sure what to do, I was alone. So I just left.”

He took another pause.

“When I got back to Nar Shaddaa, I asked my handler what that was about. I was told not to ask questions, but I couldn’t get the image of those kids out of my head so I just kept asking around. Until some bounty hunter tried to do me in. I took my ship and went to hide out on my farm, I didn’t think anyone would find me there but…”

He smiled drily,

“Yeah, but.”

Suddenly, Ian remembered his dream,

“This might sound out of the blue, but when you saw the kids, was there a togruta girl, younger and smaller than the rest?”

Mickey’s wide eyes shot to Ian’s.

“Yes. How did you know that?”

Ian frowned, leaning his head against his hands. He knew the dreams meant something.

“I’ve been having dreams. I keep seeing children, cold, scared, and alone. I wake up in a panic feeling like I need to help them. In my most recent dream, I could see everything more clearly. There was a small togruta girl crying, and she was being comforted by an older girl.”

Ian and Mickey’s eyes met, Mickey’s ever present scowl was gone.

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I can’t say I’m glad you found me, but if we make it off this planet, I’ll cooperate with the Jedi. If anyone can save those kids, it’s you.”

Ian nodded gratefully,

“Thank you. We appreciate it more than you know.”

Mickey rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, don’t get all official on me. I’ll cooperate, but then I’m going back to doing my thing, and you’ll forget you ever met me.”

Ian smiled,

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Though he’d agreed, Ian knew he would never forget the man.

Mickey was gruff and combative, but also smart and resourceful.

If what he said about his father was true, he had much reason to be bitter and angry, but he still did what he could to find out about and help the kids.

Ian knew he was so much more than his rough demeanor.

He found himself more intrigued by the man the more he learned.

Ian wouldn’t forget him, but he’d follow through on his word.

After all, Jedi were forbidden from forming attachments.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things don't go as planned...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends!!! So sorry for my prolonged absence! I took the LSATs last week, applied to law school, and moved to New York so I was a bit too stressed and distracted to post this. But the good news is I'm in quarantine for the next 4 days and I quite literally have nothing else to do, so I hope to work a few chapters ahead. My semester is starting next Monday and while I'm committed to finishing this story, updates may be somewhat less frequent, but it really all depends on my workload, we'll see. 
> 
> Disclaimer, I'm a political scientist, not an actual scientist, so I'm making all the physics and engineering stuff up. My best friend is a biomedical engineering student and she would kill me for this, but you guys won't tell her right ;)
> 
> Anyways, thank you for sticking with me and for reading this story! So much love!!!
> 
> (And as always, the biggest thank you to [ Maria ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mprods/pseuds/mprods) for editing this. She has two really great fics, go check them out!

After several painstaking days of working on the shuttle and freezing nights spent on the floor, with nothing but cat-monster meat to sustain them, the shuttle was finally as good as it was going to get.

It was maybe half the size of the original cockpit, attached to what was left of the engines and propeller.

It was going to get them off the ground.

What would come next though... well... that was a toss up.

It was time.

Mickey went through a final systems check, made sure everything was connected, and together they folded themselves into the shuttle, ready for takeoff.

As Ian looked out the window at their makeshift camp, he found himself feeling oddly sad they were leaving.

He by no means enjoyed almost freezing to death every night, needing to fight off monsters and constantly being on the verge of despair. But ironically, his time spent on the planet had also at times provided him a sense of peace.

There was no war, no mission, no Jedi Council.

It was just him and Mickey, working together.

But obviously it couldn’t and wouldn’t last forever.

“Alright, you ready Gallagher?”

Ian looked at the man besides him. He was ready.

“Yes. Let’s get out of here.”

The returning smile was small and easy to miss, but Ian still caught it.

Mickey pulled back the lever and engaged the engines, which roared to life as Ian took a deep breath, expecting the sudden burst of motion that would accompany take off when-

“FUCK!”

Startled, Ian immediately turned to the man, a look of horror on his face.

“Get out now!”

Ian froze, confused, but Mickey shoved him, forcing him to come to his senses.

“We need to get out NOW!”

They both scrambled out of the shuttle, Ian following Mickey’s lead as he began to run.

The sudden explosion forced Ian to the ground, a wave of heat rolling over his back, blistering against his skin.

Despite the haze around him, Ian saw when Mickey got up to run towards the flaming wreck and he forced his body up to stop him.

“Mickey don’t!”

The man ignored him, and Ian, feeling quite bad for Mickey and for himself, knowing he would get an earful for what he was about to do, tackled the shorter man to the ground.

Mickey squirmed and fought against him.

“Mickey. There’s nothing we can do now. We have to keep a safe distance.”

Eventually he felt when the fight left Mickey’s body,

“You can get the fuck off me, asshole.”

Ian rolled off him, pushing himself up just enough to look at the ruins of what had taken them several days and hours of sweat to put together.

“FUCK!”

Mickey’s shout came again, and this time it didn’t startle Ian. in fact, he agreed with the sentiment.

Mickey continued screaming out his frustration for some time, Ian silent beside him.

“That was our last fucking chance of getting out of here! Do you get that?! Fucking say something!”

Before Ian could respond, he took a deep breath, feeling the panic in him rising.

“I am freaking out,” He said, trying to keep his tone level. “But running straight at an explosive hazard won’t help us now.”

Mickey’s glare became somehow more murderous.

“I have no idea what we do now.”

Ian grumbled through his fingers.

Ian felt so lost.

The Jedi gave him one job, an easy one at that, and here he was, stranded on an unsettled, hostile planet, no way of getting off it, no way to complete his mission, no way to help the kids who called out to him for help in his sleep.

He was a failure.

The Jedi’s disappointment must have spurred Mickey’s survival instinct because after a moment of tense silence he sighed and answered Ian’s unasked question.

“We do the only thing we can, man... Wait for the fire to go out so we can recover scraps, rebuild the camp. Then in the morning, when we’re more clear headed, we figure out a plan.”

_Rebuild camp?_

Ian’s gaze shot up to where their lean-to was, or at least where it used to be.

The explosion had blasted it apart leaving a twisted heap of metal in its wake.

Ian pounded the ground in frustration.

The metal shelter was the only thing keeping them from freezing to death at night. Without it, the thin scratchy blankets wouldn’t be enough.

Mickey sat back down on the ground, watching the fire.

When it was sufficiently extinguished, he moved to help Ian up.

“Come on man, we don’t have time to wallow anymore, the sun will set soon.”

The role reversal was dizzying, Mickey now being the one pushing him forward and taking the lead, but Ian was grateful for it.

He’d follow him gladly.

They worked together trying to build a shelter.

It had been easier the first time around - having had two large flat pieces of metal that could be put together to form a tent-like hut.

Now both pieces were warped and full of holes from the shrapnel.

In the end they were left with an enclosure that wasn’t nearly as sturdy or insulated as the last, but that would have to do for the time being.

Ian lit a fire as close to it as he dared, just as the sun dipped below the horizon.

The cold wind blew against his exposed skin, making him shiver.

And he was hungry, they both were, but they were out of cat-monster meat - having finished it all up this morning when they thought they were finally getting out.

The men had a long night ahead of them.

“We could just… wait outside until one tries to attack again.” Suggested Ian, thinking of the first and only time he came in contact with one of the creatures.

Mickey grimaced at him before nodding, having realized that was their only option.

He disappeared into the shelter for a second and came out with two blankets, throwing one to Ian and wrapping the other around his shoulders as he settled next to him by the fire.

Ian was glad for the warmth of the extra layer and the fire, though he feared the heat rising in his chest, seemingly spreading through his veins probably had very little to do with it.

The men remained in comfortable silence but after some time, they found themselves rubbing at their eyes, trying to ward off the sleepiness.

“So why the Jedi?” Ian heard Mickey ask. He turned to look at him but the other man was staring into the embers.

“I didn’t really have a choice,” he shrugged, “In order to be a Jedi you have to be force sensitive,” at Mickey’s confused expression, Ian further elaborated, “The force is an energy field that connects all life. Some people can sense it and use it, That's how we move things without touching them.”

Mickey still looked confused.

“I thought moving things with your mind was a skill the Jedi learned?”

Ian pursed his lips, unsure how to explain.

“Well, we do learn how to harness the power and connect to the force, but I was born able to consciously sense and use the force, though I didn’t realize it at the time. The Jedi have a way of finding force sensitive individuals, and they came for me when I was four. I don’t remember my childhood before the Jedi, it’s all I know.”

Mickey’s eyebrows were raised suspiciously.

“So, they took you from your family when you were a child and raised you in their order without giving you a choice?”

Ian had to admit it sounded bad when laid out like that.

“Well, they had to have the permission of my parents, or, whoever was raising me, I don’t really remember, so they don’t just kidnap children, they ask first. And I’m glad they did. I believe in the Jedi. What we do is important, brings order to the galaxy, maintains peace, all of that.”

The brunette snorted, derisively.

“What? You disagree?” Ian asked, somewhat offended.

“How can you maintain the peace when you are quite literally fighting on the front lines of a war?”

Ian scowled at the man. He knew Mickey wasn’t some pacifist, he was just trying to get a rise out of him.

“Sometimes we must tolerate violence in order to achieve peace in the long run.”

Mickey just smirked.

“You know that’s ridiculous right? So violence and war is okay when you need it to be to suit your political interests?”

This was turning into a discussion that Ian wasn’t particularly interested in having.

“The Separatists are evil. I mean, their head of government is a Sith Lord.”

“Dude, I don’t know what a Sith Lord is, and yeah, I may not be up to date on the great Galactic Civil War, but have you considered that maybe you only think they’re evil because what they want is different from what you want?”

The redhead huffed, and chose to stay silent. Arguing about this was a waste of time. But even in the quiet, Mickey’s voice rang in his ears.

When was the last time he had actually thought about the war? He was still a padawan when the battle of Geonosis took place, jump starting the struggles.

Ian had always taken the words of the Jedi and Republic at face value. They fought the war for the sake of the galaxy. But Mickey’s words held a sliver of truth to them. What were the goals of the Separatists?

A shiver ran down his spine, unrelated to the cold temperature.

“I think one of the creatures is circling us.”

Mickey believed him. They were past the point of doubting each other.

“Well shit, get your lightsaber out, space wizard.”

The Jedi shook his head but did as Mickey said.

This time, when the creature came pouncing from the shadows, he was prepared.

One swing of his saber and the ordeal was over.

They took care of processing the body for meat together, packing away the chunks of edible meat, and throwing the carcass into the fire.

The work made Ian sweat, and once they were done, the cold wind blowing against his wet skin made him feel frozen to the bone.

With nothing else to do that night, they both quietly agreed it was time to put this awful day behind them.

As soon as Ian crawled into the shelter behind Mickey, he knew they were in for a rough night.

The cold wind blew through the holes left in the metal sheeting, pulling out any heat before it had a chance to build up.

Within minutes Mickey began to shiver, and Ian soon followed.

Even despite the fact that there was hardly any room between them with the tiny shelter, they were freezing.

“Mickey.”

Ian knew he wasn’t going to like this part.

“What?” Snapped the man, though the menacing effect was dulled by his chattering teeth.

“We’re going to freeze to death. We need to get closer.”

Ian couldn’t see Mickey’s glare as much as he could feel it burning into him.

“I think I’ll take my chances with the cold.”

Ian rolled his eyes.

“Can we just put our pride aside for like, a few hours?”

Mickey growled at him, and Ian was sure he was about to argue again, but then Mickey threw his blanket over and rolled until they were pressed together.

“Take your shirt off.”

Mickey turned and looked at him like he was off his rocker.

“What the fuck? I’m not taking my damn shirt off, are you insane?”

“I know it sounds counterintuitive but it’ll make it easier to share body heat, we’ll warm up faster.”

Mickey stayed totally still. Ian sighed. He pulled his robe over his head, shivering at the cold air that hit his torso.

He lay back down, looking pointedly at Mickey.

“Fuck fine.” Mickey tore his shirt off quickly, before shooting under the blankets as fast as he could.

They adjusted themselves until they were comfortable, or at least as comfortable as it was going to get, with Mickey’s back plastered to Ian’s front.

For a while they were both still cold and covered in goosebumps, but slowly the warmth began to build up between them and Ian finally stopped shivering, though he could still feel Mickey shaking besides him.

Hesitantly, Ian wrapped his arms around Mickey’s shoulders.

Mickey tensed up, still as a statue before relaxing into Ian’s hold.

Beneath the blankets and pressed together, it certainly wasn’t warm, but it was far more manageable than before.

He could feel when Mickey’s breaths evened out and he fell asleep, but Ian’s thoughts were racing.

The way Mickey felt pressed against Ian was wrong in how right it was.

Laying here, with just his thoughts, and Mickey’s warm body between his arms, Ian was forced to reckon with the truth. He could no longer deny what he wasn’t allowed to feel.

Physical attraction wasn’t forbidden by the Jedi Code but Ian knew it was more than just physical.

He liked Mickey.

He liked him despite his brash demeanor and combativeness or maybe because of it.

Mickey was smart, fierce and shockingly kind. They worked well together and even in the worst circumstances, Ian still found himself glad he had Mickey’s company.

But Ian knew it wasn’t allowed.

He knew that Mickey coming with him in the first place wasn’t even really of his own volition, and they were only in this mess because of Ian’s mission. Knew that as soon as they made it back to Coruscant he would say goodbye and likely never see the man again.

He knew all of this.

Only logically knowing didn't seem to be enough, not when he could feel Mickey’s chest move softly up and down with each breath. Not when he could feel the softness of his skin, when he could see the fain freckles on his shoulder...

Ian swallowed, feeling more conflicted than he ever had before.

The Jedi were his life - he had spent his entire life working towards passing the trials and becoming a Jedi Knight.

The rules were set for every Jedi were meant to protect them, they were important, and he had to follow them. If he didn’t, if he gave in, it wouldn’t end well.

It hadn’t last time and Ian wouldn’t falter again.

When morning came, he’d put some distance between.

He would ignore his feelings, push them aside, and treat Mickey like any other informant.

He knew he could do it, even if it hurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't resist the calling of the "we need to cuddle for warmth trope" please forgive me.
> 
> Chapter 6 is written and awaiting edits, I'll probably post it in a few days. 
> 
> Comments are always very appreciated!!!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keeping his distance... isn't so easy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got my LSAT scores back and good news everyone, I'm going to law school XD   
> Things get a little exciting this chapter! I hope y'all enjoy!

“Wake up asshole, I have an idea.” 

Ian awoke not so gently from his sleep to Mickey vigorously shaking his shoulder. 

“What,” Slurred Ian, “What’s going on?” 

Mickey’s grin was at odds with the somber mood of last night. Ian shook his head, trying to clear his mind of sleep and the quickly fading dreams. 

“I said, I have an idea. Get up, I need your help.” 

Mickey promptly disappeared from the shelter into the bright morning light. 

Ian stretched, pulling his robes back onto his body, and followed Mickey into the sun, enjoying its warmth, especially after the harsh cold of last night. 

Mickey sat cross legged on the ground before a pile of what looked like junk, but Ian knew by now that Mickey likely had a purpose in mind for each piece of metal. 

“Where do you need me.” Ian asked, coming to a stop in front of the other man.

Mickey responded without looking up from his work, 

“I need you to go through the wreck and collect any wires, long thin pieces of metal, and flat malleable pieces you find.” 

Ian still wasn’t sure what Mickey had in mind. 

“Can you tell me why?” 

Mickey looked up at him for the first time since sitting down. 

“Wait until you’ve found the pieces. No point getting your hopes up until I know it’ll work.” 

While Ian was curious, he couldn’t argue with Mickey’s logic. 

It was hard not to spiral into despair as Ian waded through the now two separate wrecks for spare parts, knowing that their last plan to make it off the planet had quite literally crashed and burned. 

But his hope slowly came back every time he found a piece of scrap that fit Mickey’s specifications. The newfound determination on Mickey’s face grew with every hunk of metal or twisted wire Ian threw to him, and Ian soon found the tension dissolving off his shoulders. 

After an hour of meticulously picking through the wreck for every last wire, Ian finally settled next to Mickey to watch the man work and cool down in the shade. 

Mickey was hyper-focused on the work before him, knotting wires, straightening bent metal, fixing pieces of scrap together like a jigsaw puzzle. 

Ian was transfixed by the sure and steady motions of the man’s hands. 

_ Stop it,  _ he thought, rising to his feet so he could put some distance between him and Mickey. 

“I’m going to go collect more firewood.” 

Mickey grunted in acknowledgment, still consumed with building whatever it was he was trying to build. 

With every tree Ian stripped, he found himself needing to trek further and further out to find more. The landscape was plain, covered in long green grasses, monotony only occasionally broken by small hills and outcroppings of rock. 

The vast unending grasslands made Ian feel like he could walk forever and yet never see a change of scenery. For all Ian knew, that could very well be the case. He’d seen many planets made up of a single ecosystem, brutal in their simplicity. 

Despite their days spent on the planet Ian still hadn’t seen any sentient creatures other than the monsters they’d been eating. He wasn’t sure what they themselves survived off of, but he was sure it was best not to find out. 

Finally making it to one of the rare scrubby looking trees, Ian began the work of cutting them down and breaking them into smaller usable pieces. 

He piled the firewood on the blanket he’d had the foresight to bring and before long, Ian was hot and sweaty. Not for the first time, Ian longed for the temperature controlled environment of the Jedi temple. The constant cycling between extreme temperatures was slowly chipping away at his strength. Each morning he woke up more tired and achy than the last and he was sure it was the same for Mickey. Their situation was survivable for now, but it couldn’t last.

It’s not like he wanted to think about this, to spend his days worrying about their inevitable demise, but Ian simply could not stop himself from dwelling on the worst case scenario. He wondered about what would make them break first, the extreme temperatures or the malnutrition. Surely, if they didn’t find a way off the planet, they would succumb to one eventually. It was only a matter of time. 

While his mind had been consumed with worry, Ian’s feet had taken him back to camp. The scene was completely unchanged from when he’d left, Mickey still hunched over focused on his work. With nothing left to do, no excuse that would keep his hands from idleness and mind from straying down paths it shouldn’t, Ian again settled down by Mickey.

After several moments, Mickey leaned back from his work, rolling his shoulders and stretching out his neck. Looking up, he noticed Ian for the first time. 

“Ready to hear my new genius idea?” 

Ian couldn’t stop the smirk which crawled across his face at the man’s dry tone. 

“I’m all ears.” 

Mickey nodded and motioned towards the contraption which now reached Mickey’s waist and was half its height in width. 

“So after what happened last time, our chances of making it off the planet ourselves is pretty much bust. But that doesn’t mean we can’t get help.” 

Ian’s brow creased in confusion. 

“I don’t follow. As far as I can tell we’re alone here.” 

Mickey grinned at him, blue eyes sparking with life. 

“Not talkin’ about help from anything on this planet. I built a radio transponder.” 

Ian practically felt his jaw hit the ground. 

“You built a radio transponder? Out of scrap? Are you screwing with me?” 

If the ruddy color of his cheeks and smile were any indication, he wasn’t screwing with him. 

“Can it transmit signals across deep space?” 

Mickey’s smile faltered, but it was slight- so slight another person might have missed it. 

“Well, that’s what I’m not entirely sure of. Theoretically it should, but as you’ve seen, things don’t always work out the way theory suggests.” 

Ian pursed his lips. It was at least better than sitting around waiting for the elements to take them. 

“Stop moping. It’ll work. I need the coordinates of the nearest Republic base and your clearance codes.” 

Ian thought for a moment. 

“I don’t actually know what the closest Republic base is. I’m not sure where we are. The ship fell out of hyperspace while I was asleep, remember?” 

Mickey looked put out at the sudden wrench thrown in his plan, making Ian feel bad, even if he hadn’t said anything untrue. 

“Well,” Ian hesitated, but figured a guess was better than nothing, “I can make an estimate. Coruscant is directly galactic east of Tol Amn, we were flying in a straight line, and we’d been traveling for three hours I think?” Ian looked to the other man for confirmation but Mickey only shrugged, “If the ship was traveling at the same speed it was before, that would put us roughly near the Eastern Core region. There’s a Republic base on Alderaan” 

Mickey looked at him coolly. 

“That’s the best we’ve got, we may as well go with it. What are the coordinates?” 

Ian relayed the information to the man, and after Mickey made several adjustments to the device, he held what looked like a microphone in front of Ian’s mouth and nudged him to record a message. 

Thinking for only a moment, Ian briefly relayed their predicament and requested immediate assistance from the Republic troops, including all necessary information as well as his clearance codes. 

Mickey set the device to transmit the signal on a loop, placing it several feet away from their camp so they could get an uninhibited view of the blue sky. 

Now there was nothing to do but wait and hope their message was received. 

* * *

The sun wouldn’t set for another few hours and so the two men took advantage of the warmth, relaxing in the shade. While Ian was grateful for a break, he found himself anxious for a task. 

In an attempt to distract himself, he tried engaging Mickey in conversation, but Mickey was clearly exhausted from the focus it took to build the transponder, and Ian eventually felt bad for disturbing him. 

Before long, the comfortable silence had Ian drifting off to a sleep. 

He was in the familiar cargo hold of a ship he now knew to be a Separatist vessel. 

It was cold, and the air was stale with sickness. 

Two girls, a small Togruta girl and one who looked older, leaned over a boy - who Ian had seen pale and bloody. Now the boy appeared even paler and unconscious. 

“We have to do something!” The Togruta girl’s voice was high but powerful for her age. 

The older girl slumped, looking defeated. “I don’t know if there’s anything we can do, Kai. His fever is getting worse, and it’s not like we have any medicine.” 

Silent tears rolled down both of the girls’ faces. 

“We can’t just let him die…” The Togruta- Kai’s voice was barely a whisper. 

Tears came faster from the older girl’s eyes. Kai crawled to her, wrapping her small arms around the other girl’s midsection. They clutched each other tightly as they silently sobbed. 

Meanwhile Ian’s heart ripped in half. He could tell the boy’s life force was getting weaker, and yet he - a Jedi, a protector - was frozen, completely unable to help, forced to watch the terrible scene. 

The girls burst apart at the metallic sound of footsteps against the floor. 

A man in Separatist military garb came into view for the first time, pulling a young [Rodian](http://pm1.narvii.com/6308/e4339a201e2c5524f6002d9287261edfbc449a91_00.jpg) boy by the scruff of his neck. He roughly threw the boy in the direction of the other children. Ian didn’t recognize the man, but was filled with rage against him nevertheless. 

The man nudged the unconscious boy with his boot, hard. 

“Well, this one doesn’t have much left in him,” he spoke over his shoulder to someone outside Ian’s field of vision, “Get rid of him.” 

“No!” The older girl shouted, with sudden determination. She threw herself at the man as if to tackle him. Ian admired her strength but he knew the attack would lead to nothing. The man was more than twice her size, and the girl was weak. 

Still Ian wasn’t prepared to watch the man pistol whip the girl with his blaster. She’s fallen to the floor unconscious, a thin stream of blood trickling from her mouth. 

The man’s cruel gaze seared itself in Ian’s mind.

Ian fought to move, to help them, to do something, anything, but it was futile. He became increasingly desperate, breath coming in gasps, still unable to move. 

He let out a scream of frustration. 

“Ian,” Mickey frantically shook his shoulder, “Wake up man.”

Ian sat up abruptly, hands coming to press against his eyes. 

The vision played behind his eyelids as he felt bile rise in his throat. 

Ian swallowed, trying to breath evenly. 

Mickey’s hand remained on Ian’s shoulder. When Ian finally opened his eyes to look at the man, he saw concern.

Ian sighed. 

“It was the children again. It’s getting worse. And we’re still stuck here.” 

Mickey frowned, retracting his hand. 

Ian pulled his knees up to his chest. The sun was beginning to set and he could feel the chill beginning to creep in. 

Ian’s voice broke as he spoke, 

“I could feel their pain. I wish I could help them.” 

Mickey’s mouth was pressed firmly in a straight line. 

“We’re doing what we can. When we make it off this planet we’ll be able to help them. We just need to be patient.” 

Ian took a steadying breath, still feeling utterly useless, but Mickey’s certainty was at least a bit comforting. 

Ian found the other man’s gaze. 

“And if we don’t? Make it off here alive, that is?” 

Mickey shrugged, clearly feigning casualness. 

“Then it’s our time,” he grinned, trying to force an air of joviality, “At least I won’t be dying a virgin like your sorry Jedi ass.” 

Ian’s breath caught. 

He was supposed to laugh. 

It was a joke. 

Still, the comment echoed around his brain, tension stretching between the men. 

A furrow appeared between Mickey’s brows. 

“Should I not have said that? I mean, you did say Jedi were forbidden from sexual relationships. Is it frowned upon to even talk about it or something?” 

Ian grimaced. This was drawing forth memories he’d rather have remained buried in the deep recesses of his mind. 

“They are forbidden. But that doesn’t mean rules aren’t sometimes… broken.” 

Mickey raised his eyebrows, a smirk slowly forming on his face. 

“Ah I see, so you weren’t always the honorable Jedi Knight you are now. Don’t worry, I won’t hold it against you, man.” 

Ian rubbed his temples. Mickey had the wrong idea, but he also didn’t want to go through the ordeal of correcting him. 

As the silence stretched on, Mickey softened, clearly more perceptive than he was letting on. 

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything. We all have shit.” 

Ian drew his hands away from his face and caught the man’s blue gaze. 

Sighing, his posture slumped. 

“Most Jedi younglings are assigned to masters at thirteen or so, and I was no different. My first master, Kashmir Karib, well, our relationship wasn’t strictly that of a master and padawan.” 

Mickey frowned at him. 

“You had an affair with your master when you were thirteen.” 

Ian’s grimace deepened. 

“It started when I was thirteen. Lasted maybe two years before the council found out. I thought I was in love with him.” 

Mickey considered him silently before reaching over and placing a hand on his shoulder. 

“You have to know that wasn’t your fault. Your master took advantage of you when you were a child. That’s fucked up.” 

Ian shrugged and Mickey’s hand fell off his shoulder. 

“I know that now, but I didn’t at the time. The council separated us and assigned me to a new master. I tried to forget about it.” 

Ian met Mickey’s eyes, feeling shame curl in his gut, though the other man’s eyes were open, expression concerned. 

“I get it you know?” 

Mickey looked down at the ground, absently fidgeting with the grass. 

“I told you my father tried to kill me but that wasn’t the whole story.” 

Ian held his breath, waiting while Mickey appeared to gather the strength to continue.

“He caught me with another man. Forced me to sleep with a woman. That was when I knew I had to leave, I’d never be safe if I stayed in that house. I had to get away.” 

This time it was Ian’s hand on Mickey’s shoulder. 

Mickey chuckled, 

“What a fucked up pair we are.” 

Ian’s huff was just short of a laugh but still better than what he’d been feeling just moments ago. 

Mickey was right, their experiences  _ were  _ fucked up, but well, at least there was a strange sort of comfort in knowing the other understood. 

Ian met Mickey’s gaze, and thought, not for the first time, that he was beautiful. 

He wasn’t sure when it happened, but Ian noticed that Mickey was much closer than he had been moments ago. He could feel the other man’s breath against his face, and a shudder of  _ want  _ coursed through him. 

Mickey’s gaze still held his. 

Ian didn’t know who leaned in first, but suddenly they were kissing, lips moving frantically together. Ian felt as Mickey’s body pressed against his, and he brought his hands up to cradle the back of the man’s head. Mickey’s hands traveled agonizingly slowly up Ian’s back, leaving trails of heat in their wake, despite the chill of the air. 

Ian was helpless to do anything but pull the other man closer, to breath him in. 

The softness of his lips, the taste of his mouth, it was excruciating, lighting Ian’s every nerve on fire. 

Mickey’s tongue traced against Ian’s lips, and Ian felt like he was  _ losing his mind.  _

All worries, of his duty, of the Jedi code, driven from his mind as he deepened the kiss, hands slipping into Mickey’s hair and tugging gently. 

The other man sighed, responsive to Ian’s touch, fingers digging into his shoulders. 

He leaned forward, pressing Mickey against the coarse grass, not once allowing an inch of space between them. 

Mickey held the back of Ian’s neck tightly, keeping him in place as his other hand slowly traveled down his torso towards his waistband- 

“Commander Gallagher, this is Alderaan base. Commander Gallagher, do you copy?” 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A fun fact about Star Wars that I wasn't able to fit into the story: It's true that the Jedi aren't allowed to have any sexual or romantic relationships, but there is at least one instance of council sanctioned Jedi Sex. Ki Adi Mundi was a Jedi master who sat on the council. His species was incredibly rare and had a very low birth rate. Because of that, Ki Adi Mundi was allowed to smash whenever he wanted, dude had five wives.   
> Anyways...  
> Chapter 7 is written, I just need to format it. I'm a little stuck on chapter 8, but hopefully I'll push through my block and write it soon! <3 <3 <3


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Help finally comes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So APPARENTLY George Lucas went and confirmed that the Jedi are allowed to fuck as long as they don't form emotional attachments. We're going to ignore that lol, this is my fic, I'm the captain now, and I say the Jedi are not allowed to fuck. 
> 
> This chapter is kind of short, it's a transition chapter, but I hope you enjoy it nevertheless.

For several moments they were frozen, eyes wide, bodies still pressed together, until finally, reality crashed down upon them. 

Ian gracelessly jerked back, holding his breath, mind still clouded with arousal. 

Mickey looked at him, gaze level but unreadable. 

“Commander Gallagher, this is Alderaan base, do you copy?” 

“We should uh,” Ian stuttered, looking away from Mickey so he could focus, “we should probably get that.” 

Mickey looked at him incredulously. 

“Yeah, you think?” He motioned Ian towards the device, “I’ll press the buttons, you do the talking.” 

Ian nodded vigorously, grateful for the task at hand to keep him from thinking about what he’d just done. 

Together they moved towards the transponder. After a brief moment, Mickey prompted Ian to begin speaking. 

“Alderaan base, this is Ian Gallagher.” 

There was a moment of static before the voice came back. 

“Thank the stars, we got him boys!” The last part obviously directed at whoever else was in the room with the trooper. 

“Commander Gallagher, it is good to hear from you,” A new voice this time, [Rex](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/eb/CloneCaptainRex.png), “When you didn’t arrive at Coruscant after you checked in with the council, we started to get worried. Then you didn’t show up for days and they weren’t sure what to do.” 

It finally hit Ian that he and Mickey were truly going to get off this god forsaken rock. He sighed, feeling some of the stress and worry leave hid body. 

“Well, it hasn’t been easy, but we’re alive and unharmed. Unsure exactly where we crash landed, but I assumed Alderaan was the closest base.” 

Ian glimpsed at Mickey briefly, only to see him looking intently at the device and  _ away from Ian.  _

Okay, so maybe not all of their problems were solved by this new development. 

“We were able to pinpoint your location, your estimates were correct. We can be there in a few hours to pick you up. Hold tight boys, we’ll be there soon.” 

The line went silent, and so did Ian and Mickey. 

For several moments no one moved, still reeling from the kiss and shocked that they were finally about to be rescued. 

“Mickey you did it!” Exclaimed Ian, “The transponder worked. We aren’t going to die here after all.” 

A flush crept up Mickey’s neck but he refused to meet Ian’s eyes. 

“Yeah. Never going to take my bed for granted again.” 

The reminder of their sleeping situation caused the conversation to lapse into tense silence again. 

“Listen,” Ian began hesitantly, but Mickey interrupted, 

“I get it, it can’t happen again,” finally, Mickey’s gaze met Ian’s, and though the man’s face was impassive, Ian could see conflicting emotions in his blue eyes. Ian looked away, trying not to think about it. 

“You’re a Jedi, I have my own life,” Continued Mickey, “It won’t happen again. I’m sorry.” 

Ian nodded. He knew this was the right move, and yet, it did little for the pain. Now that he’d kissed Mickey, now that he knew how he felt, how he tasted, it was  _ so much worse.  _

* * *

The drop ship arrived in a few hours, just like Rex said. The man himself was waiting when the doors opened, standing at attention.

He looked over Ian and Mickey, eyebrows raising at their rugged appearance. 

“It’s good to see you sir. When we didn’t hear back from you, we feared the worst.” 

Ian grinned, clapping the captain on his shoulder. “We’re a little rougher for wear, but it’s good to see you too.” 

Mickey was remarkably quiet. Ian was sure he felt out of his depth, likely not used to being around Republic troopers. 

Ian caught his eye and jerked his head towards the [drop ship](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/5f/a3/7e/5fa37e61c03929afcfee5f2a37f57ee2.jpg), motioning for Mickey to follow him. 

Together with Rex, the three men climbed onto the ship, grabbing hold of the stability belts. 

Takeoff was smooth, and Ian found himself gripped by a sensation of unreality. 

Leaving the planet was all he’d wanted, all they’d worked towards, and while it was undoubtedly a good thing, Ian felt dizzy with the change in pace. 

For almost a week it had just been Ian and Mickey working together for survival. 

Now it was Jedi Knight Commander Gallagher and his informant. The feeling was uncomfortable, to say the least. 

“Alright Commander, we’ll be on the transport ship in a few minutes. From there it’ll be an easy ride to Coruscant. Why don’t you rest while we’re in hyperspace?” 

Ian smiled gratefully at the man. He could already feel a headache forming, rest sounded like a great idea. 

When the doors opened up to the loading area, Ian began walking to where he knew the bunks would be, before stopping and looking over at Mickey. Of course Mickey wouldn’t know how to find his way around a Republic military transport. 

“Follow me, I’ll show you where the bunks are.” 

The transport vessel was small, and the bunks were only a short walk away. The room was empty save for only Ian and Mickey. The air felt awkward. Ian sat down on a bed in the corner, Mickey wordlessly took the bed in the opposite direction, as far away from Ian as the room allowed. 

Part of Ian was miserable at the distance, but he knew it was necessary. What happened on the planet was a massive lapse of judgement on his end. No matter what he felt for Mickey, no matter what Mickey felt for  _ him _ , it wasn’t going to happen again. 

Sighing, he lay down, body sinking into the mattress. 

It was heaven. 

Ian realized too late that he’d forgotten to report to the council. 

_ Nevermind _ , thought Ian,  _ I’ll head straight there when I arrive. _

* * *

Ian slept like the dead, with no dreams to interrupt his rest. 

Though Mickey was still asleep, Ian made his way to the bridge where Rex and a cohort of troops were working on various attacks. 

“Captain,” Called Ian to Rex who turned towards him, “Please update me on any important matters I missed while… stranded.” 

Rex grimaced,

“It’s not great. There was a hostage crisis on [Naboo](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/e/eb/Theedroyalpalace.png/revision/latest?cb=20130719122716). Senator [Amidala](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/60/75/df/6075df630d773f4edbb13d41308563c6.jpg) and representative [Binks](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/disney/images/6/6f/Jar-Jar-Binks_profile.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20191023211510) were held for several days. The plot was foiled but it took significant Republican manpower.” 

Ian hummed, thinking. That was probably why the Jedi hadn’t staged any sort of rescue mission for him, and rightly so. The life of a senator, especially one with as much political sway as senator Amidala, is far more important than the life of an individual Jedi knight and smuggler. Though it did strike Ian as odd that the crisis involved Amidala, who despite being the senator for a small, fairly inconsequential planet, was targeted by the Separatists more often than not. He was unsure why so many plots involved her. 

Regardless, that wasn’t any of Ian’s business. 

“Anything else to report?” 

Rex shrugged. 

“The fighting on [Mon Cala](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/5/50/BattleOfMonCalamari-SWBlog.png/revision/latest?cb=20121121050441) has turned in our favor, but the Republic has taken serious blows in [Geonosis](https://lumiere-a.akamaihd.net/v1/images/databank_geonosis_01_169_1d04e086.jpeg?region=0%2C0%2C1560%2C878&width=960). The Separatists seem to have a way to communicate with each other without alerting any of our noise trackers.” 

Ian’s brows furrowed. That didn’t make much sense. 

“I bet they’re using silencers.” 

Ian startled slightly, and turned to find that Mickey had come up beside him at some point during the conversation. The man had been so quiet, Ian had never even noticed. 

“What do you mean by silencers?” 

Mickey met Ian’s eyes briefly but cut away just as quickly. 

“It’s a device that emits a signal which counteracts the trackers, making it impossible for them to pick up comms at specific frequencies. It’s an old smuggler trick.” 

Ian knew Mickey was smart and more than competent with engineering, but being able to hold his own in a room full of troopers was another thing entirely. 

While Mickey continued discussing possible solutions with Rex, Ian’s mind began to wander. 

For the first time, it occurred to Ian that Mickey’s specific skill set could be used for the benefit of The Republic. Though the Council might not agree immediately and Ian doubted Mickey would want to stick around on Coruscant. 

Nevertheless, once the idea took hold, it wouldn’t leave. Mickey had just proven how useful he could be to the war effort. 

Maybe if he showed the Council how much Mickey knew and how helpful that could be for them, the Council would offer Mickey amnesty and safety. 

Maybe Mickey would prefer to work an official job for The Republic rather than the dangerous smuggling work he’d been doing. 

Maybe, Mickey would agree to stay, lending his expertise to The Republic. 

Maybe Ian wouldn’t have to say goodbye. 

Maybe...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm working on chapter 8, but I seem to have hit a block. I'll try to get it out as soon as I can. 
> 
> Thanks for readingggggggg <3


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Council convenes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't hate me for this one :)   
> Also I apologize in advance for any links not working, I still have no clue what the problem is :/

It was a rare occurrence that the entire [Jedi council](https://starwarsblog.starwars.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/11/sith_1430.jpg) was able to convene in person. Typically, the masters who were in Coruscant would sit in their usual chairs while those stationed elsewhere would have their holograms projected in their spot. 

With the war ongoing, it was even less likely for all council members to be in one place at one time. There was always some crisis happening somewhere, or tensions with the Separatists building elsewhere. 

And yet, there Ian stood before the entire [council](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/79/be/4a/79be4afd3907e793501235637f4eed3c.jpg), all twelve pairs of eyes trained upon him and Mickey. 

They stood in the center of the ring of chairs, and while Ian was used to being watched by the masters, even he had to admit that the scrutiny was disconcerting. 

He couldn’t imagine how Mickey was feeling, having gone from a small time drug smuggler to standing before the heads of what in essence was the largest law enforcement agency in the galaxy. 

The man stood beside Ian, hands clenched by his sides, eyes firmly directed at the floor. Uncomfortable was too weak of a word to describe the tension radiating off of him, even if Ian hadn’t spent the last week in close quarters with the man, he was sure he would have been able to sense his disquiet. 

“We need to understand the motives here,” Stated [Master Windu](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/swfanon/images/7/7e/MaceWindu.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20091206115140), “Your clients purchased sedatives from you, correct?” 

Mickey nodded, still refusing to look up. 

“How can we be sure the sedatives were to be used for the children?” Asked [Master Shaak Ti](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e1/b8/b6/e1b8b6e77627b2ba629d9bb4f91e9506.jpg) softly. 

[Master Obi Wan](http://oyster.ignimgs.com/mediawiki/apis.ign.com/star-wars-episode-7/2/22/Jedi_council_chamber07.jpg) stroked his beard, considering the facts put before him, 

“There are many drugs which can be used as sedatives,” He stated plainly, “They chose Renatyl, a particularly expensive drug known to be effective on children. The simplest explanation is that’s what it was for.” 

Ian stayed quiet. He was unsure why he was still even in the room. As far as he knew, his job was to find and deliver Mickey, and he’d done just that. There was no reason he should be present for the questioning. 

Still, there he stood silently by Mickey’s side. 

At least Mickey wasn’t alone before the council. Ian hoped Mickey was able to glean some comfort from his presence. 

Granted, maybe he was thinking too highly of himself. 

“Overthink this, we must not,” Stated [Master Yoda](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/c/c3/Yoda_TPM_RotS.png/revision/latest?cb=20130810185858) in that backwards way of speaking he had, “The proof we have. Now act we must.” 

As [Master Plo Koon](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/b/bf/PloKoonCardTrader.png/revision/latest?cb=20180213154354) leaned forward, Ian swallowed down the involuntary shudder of discomfort he always felt when looking at the man’s covered eyes. He was a good Jedi, but the mask had always freaked Ian out. 

“Please tell us again of the children you saw on the station.” 

Ian noticed Mickey tense further as all eyes shifted towards him yet again. 

“There was a human girl, maybe fourteen, a [Togruta](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/1a/2e/96/1a2e962e496d8ec346a796eb9e2095e9.jpg) girl, no older than seven, and a human boy about ten, but…” He trailed off, eyes finding Ian’s, unsure how to explain how he knew the fate of the boy when he had never seen it himself. 

The council’s eyes had followed Mickey’s and come to rest on Ian. It was time for him to speak up. 

“I’ve been having dreams- visions of the children,” Ian took a deep breath, made nervous by the concentrated attention of the Jedi Council, “I didn’t know what they meant at first, but I saw three children, like Mic- Milkovich described. I knew they were suffering and I could feel their pain. I soon realized that the children I saw in my dream were the very same that Milkovich had witnessed on the ship. I dreamt about them a few more times. During my last dream, I saw-“ Ian’s voice cracked as he felt an unexpected surge of emotion. Speaking about the visions in his dreams made them real, and so much more horrifying, “I saw the boy was sick. A man wearing a Separatist uniform came and took him away. I don’t know what happened to him. But he brought another boy, a [Rodian](https://lumiere-a.akamaihd.net/v1/images/databank_ganodi_01_169_f6cb9dbb.jpeg?region=68%2C0%2C877%2C878). He looked to be eight years old.” 

The room was silent as the council considered the new information. 

“This matter is deeply troubling,” began Master Kenobi, stroking his beard in what Ian assumed was something of a nervous habit, “We don’t know what purpose the children serve for the Separatists, but as young Master Gallagher said, he could feel their suffering, so it cannot be for anything good.” 

Ian looked around. Many of the council members appeared deep in contemplation. But Master Windu looked directly at him, eyes narrowed. 

“Why was this information only brought to us now? You had ample time to report to us before your arrival.” 

Ian looked down feeling ashamed. 

“I apologize, master. I was tired and distracted on the way back to Coruscant. I forgot to report to you. It will not happen again.” 

Though his gaze was still trained on the ground, he could feel the attention of everyone in the room, including Mickey, on him. 

“See that it does not,” Said Master Windu sharply, “Distraction is death for a Jedi. You must train it out of yourself.” 

Ian felt the words reverberate around his chest. He had to force himself not to glance at Mickey, though he could feel the man’s eyes on him. Master Windu was right. He had let himself get distracted, and he made a mistake because of it. Despite what he felt, he couldn’t let it happen again. 

“Master Gallagher, please take Milkovich outside the council room. We must discuss this matter in private.” 

Ian nodded, turning to leave. He glanced at Mickey to make sure the man was following him. 

He was, though he wouldn’t meet Ian’s eyes. 

In the [grand hall](https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/011/890/885/large/marton-antal-jedi-tmeple-night.jpg?1531950306) that led to the council room, there was no one but Ian and Mickey. It was quiet, and despite the fact that Ian had spent several nights quite literally pressed up against the man, it was incredibly awkward. 

“Mickey,” Ian sighed, unsure of what to say, though he knew he needed to do something to ease the tension. Mickey glanced at him briefly.

“I know you said that when this was over you would go back to your old life, and if that’s still what you want, I’ll respect that,” Ian paused, trying to gauge where Mickey was at, though the man’s face was entirely impassive, “But after hearing you talking with Captain Rex, I really think the Republic could use you.” 

He could see Mickey was about to protest, so he continued before the man could get a word in. 

“Just think about it. It would be safer, probably more lucrative. You’d be able to use your talents in a way that would be constructive. And you could stay on Coruscant…” 

The part Ian didn’t say out loud was that if Mickey stayed on Coruscant, he wouldn’t have to say goodbye. What happened on the planet couldn’t happen again. Master Windu’s scolding only confirmed that further. But still, Ian couldn’t deny that he liked Mickey’s company. And he thought Mickey liked his too. If Mickey worked for the Republic… well at least they could stay friends. 

Mickey looked at Ian, really looked at him. Again, Ian couldn’t help but notice how beautiful the man was. 

Mickey visibly softened. Still tense, but less so. 

“I’ll think about it.” 

Ian smiled at him softly. 

“Good.” 

The next few minutes passed in comfortable silence. Though their surroundings were wildly different, sitting next to Mickey, passing time quietly, was remarkably familiar in a way that made Ian feel warm. 

He tried not to think about that too much. 

A sudden burst of noise caught Ian’s attention. 

The door to the council’s room had opened, council members filing out. 

Though most of the twelve members continued on to other matters, sparing barely a glance at the two men waiting in the hall, Masters Windu and Kenobi walked over to them. 

“Master Gallagher,” Began Master Kenobi, ignoring Mickey beside him, “The council wishes to thank you for your hard work in bringing this information to us,” 

Though Master Kenobi was still speaking, Ian was distracted by the appearance of two clone troopers. His brows furrowed.  _ What were they doing here?”  _

Ian snapped his gaze back to Master Kenobi, noticing that his attention had wandered. 

“When the time comes for us to enact our plan, we would like your help. But for now you are free to rest and recuperate from what I assume was a taxing and stressful situation.” 

Ian nodded his thanks, wondering if now was a good time to bring up his thoughts concerning how Mickey could help the Republic. 

“You may go report back to the barracks now.” 

That was a dismissal if he’d ever heard it. 

But Mickey was still here, waiting to be addressed. Ian was unsure if he should wait for him, maybe take him to the rooms which were kept for guests not of the Jedi Order, or go back to his rooms and assume someone else would do it. 

“Men,” Master Windu addressed the two clone troopers, “Please escort Milkovich to the Central Detention Center.” 

_ What?  _

“What?”

Ian’s gaze shot back and forth between the masters and the troopers who were closing in on an increasingly hostile Mickey. 

Ian placed himself between Mickey and the rest of the room’s occupants. 

“Milkovich cooperated with us. Surely this isn’t necessary.” 

Master Windu looked at him, an odd expression in his brown eyes. 

“Milkovich is a career criminal employed by one of the galaxy’s most nefarious cartels. We can’t just let him go back to drug running.” 

Ian rankled at the way Master Windu spoke about Mickey as if he wasn’t right there with them. 

The troops had stalled waiting for Ian to back away and let them take Mickey. But Ian wasn’t backing off. 

Mickey had cooperated, at a great personal cost. He saved Ian’s life many times over. Ian was sure that with his genius he could be helpful to the war effort. Arresting him was ridiculous. 

And yet, Master Windu and Kenobi appeared entirely serious. 

“Master Windu,” said Ian, addressing the more senior member of the council, “Milkovich has been incredibly helpful to me. I couldn't have survived without him. Surely the council can be lenient in this instance.” 

Though Ian had addressed Master Windu, Master Kenobi responded, looking somewhat sympathetic. 

“And for that we are grateful. But the council cannot be lenient all the time, or it would be impossible to maintain order.” 

Still Ian refused to move. 

Master Kenobi nodded at the confused troopers, indicating that they should do as told and arrest Mickey. 

Ian could hear blood rushing in his ears. 

The council couldn’t just… arrest Mickey. 

And yet that was obviously what was happening. He couldn’t just let them take Mickey, he had to do _ something.  _

When the troopers were within arms reach Ian shoved them, not too gently. 

“Master Gallagher!” Shouted Master Windu, the man’s harsh tone distracting Ian enough that the clones were able to circumvent him and grab Mickey by the arms. “Remember your place. The council has rendered its decision.” 

Ian was ready to argue, but the look in the master’s eyes stopped him. 

He’d already broken protocol, flaunted the rules. Any more would likely not be tolerated. 

And while it was painful to admit, maybe the council was right. Ian was too attached, and if there was one thing the Jedi staunchly forbid, it was attachments. 

Ian’s shoulder’s dropped as he deflated, finally stepping back. He pushed the conflicted feelings down. 

This was for the best after all. In prison, Mickey wouldn’t be able to continue his dangerous work as a smuggler. After all, he had broken the law. 

Most importantly, the temptation of his presence would no longer be available. Ian knew what the right thing to do was, even if every fiber of his being was screaming for him to do something. He knew what was expected of him. 

Mickey offered little resistance. He was silent when the troopers locked cuffs around his wrists, and silent when they began to talk him out of the hall. 

The last thing Ian saw before he disappeared through the doorway was the intense look of deep betrayal in Mickey’s piercing blue eyes. And it was aimed right at Ian. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, but just trust me okay?


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mickey adjusts to prison life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little different, we get a little glimpse into Mickey's mind.  
> Warnings for a good amount of angst. 
> 
> As always, thank you to the lovely [Maria ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mprods/pseuds/mprods) for being an amazing beta!

The sound of his cell door sliding shut made Mickey feel cold to the bone. 

The cell was barren, with only a toilet and a metal slab for a bed. He’d had similar accommodations before, but something about this just felt worse, so much worse. 

Even the shitty little shack on that unsettled island that froze every night seemed more hospitable than this cell. 

But then again, he’d had company. 

_No, no don’t think about that._

Telling himself not to think about it didn’t stop the almost tangible pain the thought of Ian struck through his chest. 

He had to sit down. 

Mickey stumbled toward the metal slab, slumping down onto it and dropping his head in his hands. 

He was so _stupid_. 

He spent _years_ alone, relying on no one but himself, his own strength, his own company. 

He didn’t need anyone else. He had resigned himself to a life literally flying solo, and until a week ago, he was more than okay with that. He had his ship, he had his farm, and he had a job that brought in the dough and kept him on his toes. And whenever he needed it, he could find a hookup on any planet he came across. He was more than fine with that. 

And yet… 

Mickey didn’t even know how it happened. 

Something about the big green eyes, the genuine kindness, the earnestness..

It’d begun to chip away at the walls he spent his entire life building up. 

He hadn’t initially planned on going with Ian, or cooperating with the Jedi, he figured it would be just as dangerous to go with the space cops as it was to take his chances with the Separatists. 

But despite the initial fight, Ian had been nothing but genuine. He offered safety, and Mickey, ever adaptable, was willing to accept his terms if it meant he was less vulnerable of being assassinated by a government he didn’t even care about. 

And then Ian had treated him as more than a prisoner. Speaking to him like an equal, giving him the only bed. Mickey began to believe that Ian actually saw him that way. 

A bitter taste krept up his throat as he realized how wrong he had been. 

The way Ian had backed down, deferring to the council, letting them arrest him after barely a struggle. 

Logically, he should have known that would happen. He should have expected it. 

But that didn’t stop the hurt he felt when Ian looked at him, eyes sorry, but letting him be taken away nonetheless. 

Feeling a surge of rage, Mickey lashed out, fist hitting the metal wall, _hard._

When the adrenaline wore off, he was left with a throbbing hand, feeling no better than he had before, still locked away in a Republic prison cell. 

As a child, he’d imagined his life playing out in several different ways. Ending up in prison was not unfamiliar. But recently, he’d gotten too comfortable. Too comfortable with the lawlessness of Hutt occupied territory, too comfortable with his own skills, too comfortable with Ian… 

Suffice it to say, this dismal situation wasn’t what Mickey had expected. 

Stupidly, despite everything he’d learned to the contrary, he’d allowed himself to hope that maybe his life could be different, better. 

Less lonely. 

Mickey never cared about politics. Galactic Republic, Confederacy of Independent Systems, it was all the same to him. Powerful people wanted more power, and they were willing to use any means to get it, regardless of the consequences. At the end of the day, whether the Senate or the Confederacy was in charge made absolutely no difference to Mickey. Both would treat him like a criminal, consider him the dregs of society. He didn’t care about the war before, and he still didn't care today. 

What did it matter to him if he could help the Republic military? It shouldn’t matter to him at all. 

Despite that, when Ian told him that he could be useful, that he could have a different life, well, he didn’t immediately say no. 

After all, he was talented with technology and logistics. If that was what the Republic was looking for, well, he wouldn’t say no to a better paying, safer, more legitimate job, even if he really couldn't care less about the ultimate success of the Republic. 

And then there was Ian himself. 

Mickey had never met anyone quite like him, especially not a Jedi knight. 

Granted, Mickey had not met many Jedi knights, but the ones he had were arrogant sticklers for the rules who looked at him like he was a piece of garbage they’d tripped over. 

Not Ian though. Ian treated him like a friend from the beginning, even before they knew much about each other. He was respectful. He treated him like Mickey had something to say, and Ian was interested in hearing it. He told Mickey about himself and managed to pull details about Mickey’s life from him, even when Mickey had spent his entire life never telling anyone more than they needed to know. Somehow Mickey just felt safe talking to Ian, like he could trust him. 

_So stupid._

Mickey never trusted anyone except himself. He knew better than to place his trust in someone else, and yet, _like an absolute idiot_ , he went and put his trust in a man who turned around and sold him out immediately. 

Mickey feels almost dizzy at how wrong he’d been about Ian’s character. 

On the planet… he’d been so open, so kind, and at the same time so determined. They’d worked together as a team, Ian was even happy to defer to Mickey when need be. 

Mickey swore off romance long ago, and looking back now, he should have stayed true to his intentions. Kissing Ian was as much of a lapse in judgement on his part as he assumes it was on Ian’s. 

The thought of the kiss makes his cheeks heat, while also chilling him to the bone. 

Mickey can’t remember the last time he was so vulnerable with another person. 

But Ian… 

_No._

_There’s no point dwelling on it._

Mickey had overcome so much worse than this. Mickey was a survivor. He could survive this. In fact, he could probably find a way to turn this situation to his advantage. 

With those affirmations, Mickey lay down on the hard and unforgiving slab, determined to go to sleep. 

At least unconscious he wouldn’t need to deal with the turmoil of his thoughts. 

He shivered in the cold of the cell, mind wandering to the memory of Ian, pressed up behind him, arms wrapped around his shoulders. 

Mickey squeezed his eyes shut. 

There was no point thinking about the past. About what could have been. About betrayals. He had to focus on the present. And if he was going to make the right impression on his fellow prisoners tomorrow, staying up all night dwelling on his regrets wasn’t a great start. 

Eventually, the pressure behind his eyes and the throbbing of his hand became almost soothing, lulling him to sleep, despite the cold. 

Mickey’s last thought before falling asleep was that he hoped at the very least his misfortune would be to the benefit of the imprisoned children. 

* * *

Prison was exactly like Mickey always thought it would be. 

Full of gruff and hardened prisoners of all different species, the Central Detention Center housed thousands of some of the galaxy’s most nefarious criminals. The prison was infamously brutal and unforgiving. 

There was an obvious pecking order. Former members of the Bondsman’s Guild who had gone after the wrong bounty and landed themselves in prison seemed to be at the top, while low level criminals like himself sunk to the bottom. 

While Mickey was no shrinking violet, to them he was a small fry, no one important. He hoped to keep it that way. He knew he could hold his own, but trying to stand out in a jungle like this would be suicide. If he could keep his head down and ride out the rest of his sentence, however long it would be, without angering some Hutt cousin or teenage bounty hunter, maybe Mickey would make it out alive and intact. 

The food was terrible, nothing Mickey wasn’t used to, especially after days of stringy cat monster meat. Everything was manageable, practically boring. Mickey almost wished the conditions were worse to distract him from the constant barrage of his own thoughts. 

He thinks that if he had never met Ian, there’s a good chance he would probably have ended up here anyways, or at least in another prison on some far off planet. Smuggling is a dangerous career, usually a short one. And yet, Mickey thinks that if he’d ended up here under different circumstances, maybe it would have been easier. At least then he wouldn’t have hoped, and had all his hopes dashed in the span of five awful minutes. Maybe his sentence would have been more manageable that way. 

But life never seemed to work out for Mickey. 

He was fucked from the start. Coruscant was a great planet full of opportunities… but only if one was lucky enough to be born on or near the top. Mickey wasn’t so lucky. The planet was said to have once been a planet like any other, with forests and oceans. But that was years and years ago, before recorded history began. Now the planet was one enormous city with thousands and thousands of levels ascending above the uninhabitable surface. Mickey had been raised thousands of levels below the galactic city, among the darkness and squalor of Coruscant’s underworld. His life was survival from the minute he could walk. The lower levels were inhospitable and treacherous. Mickey never had a chance. 

And when he found out he was different from his brothers and his father, well, he was double fucked. 

The fact that he even made it off the planet in the first place was practically a miracle. 

When he agreed to go with Ian in the first place, I hadn’t even occurred to him that he would be returning to Coruscant for the first time in years. And when it did hit him, he was so taken with Ian it didn’t bother him. 

He had trusted another person, with more than just his survival, for the first time in maybe his whole life. 

Now, stuck on his home planet, in conditions no better than that which he was born into, Mickey was left with absolutely nothing. 

* * *

Days passed in a monotonous succession, and Mickey was no less miserable. 

Though he was surrounded by people, he was utterly alone. He had never minded being alone before, but now… 

The crushing solitude only reminded him again of Ian, and how stupid he was to have let himself open up like that, to develop feelings for someone he knew was completely off limits. 

He was so, so stupid. 

Mickey finished up his dinner, and followed the rest of the prisoners as they filed out of the mess hall and back towards their cells for the night. 

This was Mickey’s least favorite time. At least during the day he could distract himself with working out, or shooting the shit with the other nobodies. 

But for the hours they spent in their cells between dinner and lights out were excruciating. 

Sometimes he passed the time with whatever exercises he could do in the limited space, and other times he managed to fall asleep even with the lights on. 

But despite his bone deep exhaustion, he didn’t think he’d be able to do that tonight. 

Mickey laid down on the metal slab which constituted his bed, and stared at his roof, willing his thoughts to quiet enough to give him some semblance of peace. 

He must have dozed off, or zoned out, because the clanging sound of his cell door swiping open startled him out of his trance. 

Mickey’s brows creased in confusion. It wasn’t morning yet, and the doors stayed locked until lights up. 

When the cell door had opened completely, two figures walked in, backlit by the bright prison light, but Mickey would be able to recognize the silhouettes anywhere. 

Standing inside his cell was a clone trooper in his distinctive armor, and the person whose presence Mickey both longed for and despised. 

Ian. 

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the pain, but I promise it'll be worth it!
> 
> Comments are always appreciated!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! The next chapter is already written, it'll be out in a few days. 
> 
> Padawan- A young Jedi in training apprenticed to a master  
> Ryloth- Home planet to the Twi'lek people, in the Outer Rim of the galaxy, ravaged by the war  
> Coruscant- The capital planet of the galaxy, the galactic senate as well as the Jedi temple are here. The entire planet is one big city.  
> Hutt- A large slug-like species, their clan runs a large mafia, they control a portion of the galaxy  
> Corellian route- One of several hyperspace lanes, used for trade throughout the galaxy  
> Astromech droid- A small droid used to maintain and repair starships  
> Republic- A democratic political body made up of representatives from major planets, at war with the Separatists  
> Separatist- Also known as the Confederacy of Independent Systems, a political group which splintered from the Republic that fought the Republic until the rise of the Empire  
> Hyperspace- A dimension which enabled a traveler to fly at speeds incredibly fast, can only be accessed with a hyperdrive.  
> Lekku- Long fleshy appendages that grow from the heads of some species such as Twi'leks and Togrutas  
> Tol Amn- A planet within Hutt controlled territory, used to grow most of the crops used within the territory.


End file.
